Grayson High
by lymaria
Summary: AU. Its the last year of high school for Garfield. By next spring he will graduate and finally become a full fledged superhero. All his years in high school have been uneventful, and he didn't expect this year to be any different. That is, until he met Mr. Grayson. Bbrob.
1. Chapter 1: Monday

Beast Boy~

"Have a nice day at school, honey!" I cringed as Rita continually planted kisses on my face. As much as I loved her, I couldn't stand when she got all worked up when it came to events like this. I looked at Steve desperately, begging for help.

"Alright Rita, stop embarrassing the boy," Rita rolled her eyes at him before turning to me.

"I can't believe this is your last year of school.," I gave her a half witted grin. Yep, I am now officially a senior at Super Hero High. This would be my last year of studies before I would become a full-fledged super hero. At least someone seemed excited. Honestly, this year would probably be like any other year; boring classes, mindless teachers, and tons of homework. Not something to be looking forward to.

After hugging Rita, and saying goodbye to Steve, Larry, and Cliff, I walked out the door and headed towards my moped. I hopped in and started the engine. The school was only a few minutes away, so I wasn't in any rush to get there. With that thought in mind I drove off the driveway and prepared for the day that awaits.

* * *

Victor Stone, a half robot, half human meta who specializes in mechanics and has amazing strength and powers. He generally gets along with anyone and tries to make everyone feel welcome. I guess you can say he's pretty popular here at Super Hero High, since everyone loves him. Heck, even the mean lunch lady loves him! All in all, Victor is a stuck up jock who is a teacher's pet and everyone adores him. A.K.A, my best friend.

"Yo, Gar," I turned to see Victor jogging towards me, his medal armor glittering in the sunlight. I placed my helmet on my moped, before turning around and meeting my friend.

"Dude, where have you been? I haven't seen you since summer started," I said as we embraced in a quick hug. He shrugged, grinning from ear to ear.

"Check it," he said. I followed him to the other side of the parking lot, and my mouth instantly dropped. One car stood out against all the rest. In the middle of the lot was a brand-new looking car with sleek blue, black, and gray detailing. Not a speck could be seen on it. Even by just looking at it I could tell it had sick mileage. "Been working on it all summer," Victor said, crossing his arms triumphetly.

"Sweet!" I said, running to the car and running my hand over its smooth surface. I looked through the window and saw sleek, leather chairs, and lots of buttons. So cool. "So...when are you gonna let me test drive?" I said, opening the drivers door. Just as I was about to go in, I was grabbed by the collar of my shit and pulled back out.

"Nice try grass stain, but the day I let you drive my baby is the day I die," I crossed my arms and whined, earning a chuckle from my cyborg friend. "Come on, we got to figure out where are classes are," with a pout, I followed him to the main entrance.

It was just how I remembered it. Students flying above the ceiling showing off their powers, teens making out, some kid getting bullied, and teachers desperately trying to keep things inorder, to no avail. I pinched the bridge of my nose, I knew this was going to be like any other year.

"Who do you have first period?" I asked, pulling my schedule out of my backpack.

"Mr. Jumbo, you?" He said with an exasperated sigh.

"Ms. Mae-eye," I groaned. Victor chuckled.

"You know, there's a rumor going around that they had a thing for each other. Someone caught them making out in the janitors closet," he sneered.

"Dude, don't make me barf up my breakfast! That's disgusting,"

"Friends!" I knew that voice anywhere. It was high pitched and full of joy. If I wasn't used to her, I would have called her voice annoying.

Koriand'r, an alien princess from a planet called Tameran, came to earth after her sister's betrayal. She was a natural beauty, even with her odd features. She has superhuman strength and can shoot these things she calls_ star bolts_ out of her hands and eyes. Upon arriving, none of the guy's could keep their eyes off her (quite disgusting actually), and Victor and I thought it best if we help her adjust to the ways of earth. Although she still has trouble understanding a lot of our terms. All in all, Kori just wants the best for all of us, and wouldn't hurt a fly (unless, you know, you're asking for it).

She brought both of us into a hug (honestly, I don't know how she's able to hug like, ten people at once) telling us how happy she is to see us.

"Nice to see you too, Kori," Cyborg said, flexing his arm. She always hugged way harder than what could be considered normal.

"Friends, how was the summer break? It was most joyous for me! I went to the beach, camping, sh-" before she could continue her list, a pale hand shot over her mouth, stopping her.

"If she continues, we're going to be late for class," came a voice that was to, recognizable.

Raven Roth, a half demon, half human spawn, who to the average person seemed like a rude, empty, goth, girl. Well, she is sometimes rude, but I think that's just with me. She was a social outcast until Me and Victor added her to our group. It wasn't easy. She was convinced that getting too close to people was dangerous. Of course, we disagreed, I mean, no one can be alone forever. Eventually, she accepted our request and we got to know the real Raven; Sarcastic, smart, and beautiful.

Cyborg and I both greeted her, to which she simply nodded, pulling her hood further over his head. The bell rang and we each parted different ways, agreeing to meet again at lunch. I walked through the hallway to Ms. Mae-Eye's. I say at the back of the classroom, preparing for the boring lecture that was soon to come.

Just like every other year.

* * *

Last period. Just 90 more minutes before I could go home. I checked my schedule again.

Mr. Grayson. He must be a new teacher, since I've never heard of him before. He teaches superhero anatomy, a new course that Steve thought would be a good class to take. It wasn't like I needed it, he was enough of a mentor. But, that just means it should be an easy A.

I walked into the classroom. It didn't look he was here yet, which would explain why the students were going wild. Paper balls were being thrown across the classroom, people were standing on the desks, and everyone was obnoxiously shouting. Honestly, even I was more mature then them.

I walked to the back of the classroom and took a seat. I placed my textbook and notebooks on the desk, neatly, ignoring the odd stares I received. Hey, someone has to leave a good impression on the dude. The tardy bell rang, and all the students took a seat, though they were still shouting.

A few minutes passed before the door opened again. I looked up to see who was entering.

Thank God I was in the back of the classroom, because my face was probably as red as a tomato. A man with a tall, strong stature walked into the room. He had jet black hair which hang neatly in front of his face. It seemed to frame his jaw line, making it seem even more piercing. His lips were formed in a thin strait line with a pale pink hue. But the thing that caught my attention were his dark blue eyes that he his behind the frames of his gasses. They were...gorgeous.

I looked around the room. At least my jaw wasn't the only one that dropped.

"My name is Mr. Grayson, and I'll be your superhero anatomy teacher this semester. Unless, one of you delinquents fail, that is," his voice was smooth yet firm, with a sense of authority. His tone did not faulted nor, did he cease to make eye contact with everyone in the room. When his eyes finally settled on me, I felt myself grow frigid, yet my face still remained hot. Maybe it was just my mind playing tricks on me, but it felt like his stare lingered on me for a split of a second longer than anyone else.

He cleared his throat.

"Yes, don't expect me to be late like this everyday, there was a situation I had to take care of. Of course, since I must be punctual to class, I expect you to do the same. If you are tardy, you will spend the afternoon with me in detention. Also, I am assuming most of you were assuming this would be an easy class. Well, you're surely mistaken. In fact, enjoy today, because this will probably be as easy as it ever gets."

The class was completely silent, each student giving him incredulous looks. I could tell by many of there expressions they were regretting choosing this course.

"Today's assignment is to write a three page essay about your favorite super hero. The last 30 minutes of class will be used for presentation," A groan was chorused through out the room. Mr. Grayson took a seat at his desk, pulling out a stack of papers. I found myself looking at him a little longer, before pulling out paper and beginning my essay.

* * *

"-And that is why Wonder Woman is an idol for all girls," I clapped, along with the rest of the class. The girl who just presented, Karen, smiled and took a seat back at the table. Mr. Grayson stood up and looked at a paper with a lit of all our names.

"Mr. Garfield Logan, you will be the last one to present today," I heard a few snickers from some of the boys in the corner of the room, and some relieved sighs from others. I stood up, putting on a smile and walking to the front of the classroom. I always enjoyed sharing my thoughts, and it was even better if I could get a few laughs out of it.

As I walked to the front of the room, I spotted Mr. Grayson watching my every move. His expression was still stoic, not showing any emotion whatsoever. My smile instantly faded and I suddenly felt nervous. I quickly turned around to face the class.

"My n-name is Garfield Logan," I coughed to clear my throat. "And my favorite superhero is...uh...Robin-" Suddenly, the class erupted with laughter. I wasn't even at the punchline yet! My face heated up, and it was only until Mr. Grayson yelled for the class to settle down did they stop laughing.

"Continue," he said, urging me on. I looked at my paper, and cleared my throat again.

"Yeah, um, my favorite superhero is Robin because he reminds me of myself. A lot of you probably already know my parents died when I was younger and I was adopted by the Doom Patrol. Well, the same thing happen to Robin, his parents died when he was young, and he was adopted by Batman. He inspired me as a child to become a better hero,"

"No offense to you, Gar, but Robin is not a hero," I darted my head to see who was the speaker, and saw that it was Roy. He and I were not close friends, but more like acquaintances. I glared at him.

"Of course he is! He's saved more people than you ever could," My voice was started to rise, something that happens everytime I get defensive.

"I never said he hasn't saved anyone, but he was a sidekick. Last time I checked, Batman works alone now. Where is he? Hero's don't just quit there job,"

"He didn't quit," I growled. It was no secret that Robin hasn't been in buissness for a few years, and Batman refuses to tell the media where he is. But I knew Robin wouldn't give up on the world, he was too honorable. He was the protégé' of the most famous detective. He wouldn't give up without a reason.

"And do you have any proof to say he hasn't. We all know it, that's why we laughed. Robin is a coward." Just as I was about to say something else, Mr. Grayson abruptly stood up.

"Mr. Haper, that's enough!" The room went totally silent, and I was still glaring dagger when Mr. Grayson told me to take a seat. I sat down with a huff, and threw my hoodie over my head, crossing my arms in defeat.

The bell rang, and everyone quickly made their way out of the classroom. I slung my backpack over my shoulder and began heading towards the door.

"Mr. Logan," I stopped mid step, mentally cursing. I turned back around and headed towards the desk of my teacher, who was stacking some files.

"Sir?" He gave me an odd look before pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Mr. Grayson is fine,"

"Sorry," he shook his head, mumbling something under his breath.

"Now, I know you're smart enough to realize that what Roy said is not true. But please, leave it to me to handle situations like that. I wouldn't want to send the both of you to diciplin." I gawked. He was saying I was out of turn? All I was doing was defending my idol.

"But sir-"

"No buts. Mr. Harper will already be spending detention with me, you got off on this one. But don't expect me to be so lienent if this happens again. Clear?" I sighed.

"Crystal," Mr. Grayson nodded, and waved his hand dismissing me out the room. I grumbled a thank you before I turned on my heel and began walking out the door.

"Oh, and Mr. Logan," I stopped just as I set foot out the door. I turned around again.

"Robin is my favorite too," I felt my face heat for the umpteenth time today, a grin beginning to form face. I nodded before walking out the door. Maybe this year would be different after all.

* * *

**I kknow, I know. Amber, why are you starting a new story when you can't even update your other one. This story has been in my head for the past month! I just decided to get it out of my head. It depends on whether or not people actually like it for me to continue it. Think of it as a side story.**

**Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys!

I know it's been awhile and thanks to everyone who commented/was worried about where I was. I honestly thought the smer would give me more time to uploaded, but I was wrong. Now that schools started, I don't know when I'll have time to work on this summer. I know, its been MONTHS since ive uploaded, and theirs no reason for that (though I did have a huge writers block for some time). Just know, I haven't given up on this story and I plan on finishing it, and starting a sequal. I have the whole plot written in my head, I just have to put it in words.

On my spare time, between updates, I'll try posting some one-shots. If you have a request, feel free to submit one! All ratings are welcomed, and the more challenging the better!

Again, I am so so so sorry for making you guys wait for this long.


	3. Chapter 3: Tuesday

It was a ritual that happened every afternoon after the first day of school. Victor, Kori, Raven, and I would all go to our favorite milkshake parlor and talk about our day. Although we tried to keep things positive, it always turned into us ranting about one thing or another.

"So," Victor said, bringing a tray of drinks in one hand and a plate of food in the other. "How was everyone's day?"

"Oh, mine was most joyous!" Kori chirped, grabbing her strawberry milkshake. "Mr. Red was quite the charmer. How about you, friend Raven? Did anyone catch your eye?"

"No, not unless you count Mr. Wilson. I'm definitely keeping my eye one him." Raven said, shuddering slightly.

"Isn't that the guy who got like...twenty complaints about harassment?" Victor questioned, pulling out his burger from the bag.

"Yep, and it's about to be twenty-one if he doesn't keep his focus on teaching." Raven muttered, taking her own vanilla milkshake and sipping on it lightly.

"Well, I sure wouldn't mind if one of my teacher's paid a little attention on me. Call me crazy, but Ms. Sarasim can get it." Victor said, shaking his head with a lopsided smile.

"Get what?" Kori asked out of pure curiosity. Raven just shook her head, telling the red head to continue her drink.

"So Gar, you haven't said anything yet. Anything interesting happened today?" Victor asked. Honestly, I was just waiting for someone to ask.

"Well, I almost got detention today." The table was chorused with a unanimous 'what!' I nodded my head, understanding their confusion.

"How do you manage to almost receive detention on the first day of school?" Raven questioned, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"It was all Roy's fault!" I yell abruptly, throwing my hands up. "All I was trying to do was give a speech about my favorite super hero and Roy had to throw in his two cents! Then stupid Mr. Grayson kept me after class to tell me I was out of line, me!"

"Mr. Grayson? Oh, I heard about him from some of my girl friends. They say he was... How do you earthlings say it... Hot?" Kori said, tapping her chin. Raven nodded in agreement.

"I've seen him going down the hallway. He is rather attractive." Raven said.

"Hello," I said placing my hands on my hips. "We'remissing the point here! He is a jerk and a total pain in my-" Victor coughed, darting his eyes torward Kori. Right, no cursing in front of her. "Butt."

"Maybe you got this guy all wrong. It's his first day here, give him a break. You never know, it might turn out you like him." Victor shrugged. I huffed, leaning back in my seat.

"Yeah, maybe."

* * *

The next day of school was uneventful. Most of my classes were still giving lectures about how things would be ran this year. I only got a minimum amount of homework, most of which Steve would have to sign later. Just like every other year.

It was nearing the final bell for our last class, and I was already dreading going there. I just hoped that we wouldn't have to do anything too crazy. The final bell rang, and I rushed to my last class. If what he said yesterday was true, I would try to never be tardy in his class.

I walked in and noticed Mr. Grayson sitting at his desk, his nose was stuffed in a bunch of paperwork. His glasses hang loosely on the edge of his nose and his tounge poked out of his mouth slightly in concentration. Then he turned towards me, raising his eyebrow slightly.

I blushed, embarrassed that I had been caught staring. I quickly made my way to my seat, trying to hide my reddening face with my hoody. The late bell rang, and Mr. Grayson got up and closed the door. He looked around the room.

"Well, it seems that you all made it here on time. Much better than my first class." He said. He then folded his arms behind his back and began pacing the front of the classroom. "Today's lesson will be about finding your enemy's weakness."

The room was choruses with confused and excited whispers. Mr. Grayson coughed, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"Yes, when fighting your enemy, you must know when and where to attack. One false move, and th

ey can easily take advantage of you. Today, we will group into partners and spar in hand to hand combat."

Everyone exchanged worried glances. Most of us were only strong when we used our powers, some I knew didn't have any knowledge with hand to hand combat. If it weren't for Steve teaching me a little about it, I would have been totally freaking out.

"I realize that many of you are not skilled with this fighting style, but there may come a situation of which you can't use your powers. For that reason, we are practibg this today. Now," he said looking around the classroom. "I need a volunteer."

I quickly looked away, trying to make myself unnoticeable. I sunk deep into my chair, trying to hide my face. I swear, if he chooses me-

"Mr. Logan." Of course.

I groaned, pushing out my chair and standing up. I slowly made my way up to my teacher. He nodded, and faced me.

"Now, try to hit me." He said, his arms still behind his back.

"Hit you?" I repeated. I looked at the rest of the classroom, who looked just as shocked as I was.

"I did not stutter Mr. Logan. I want you to try and hit me as hard as you can, anywhere will do."

"I don't really think-" I said, only for Mr. Grayson to lean down to my ear level. I could feel his hot breath, making my ears twitched.

"This is a once in a lifetime opporitunity Mr. Logan. I would take advantage of it." He whispered. I felt myself get hot and nodded as he pulled away. This time, his hands were in front of him in defensive position, and he bounced slightly.

I closed my eyes, drawing out my fist. Using all the force I could, I swung in his direction. Suddenly, I felt my feet lift off the ground. I let out a surprised yelp as I felt the world spin around me. When I landed, I landed with a soft thud. Weird, it didn't hurt at all. I slowly opened my eyes, and saw Mr. Grayson hovering above me.

"Are you ok?" He asked, offering me his hand. I nodded, allowing myself to be helped up. The whole class clapped, and I was asked to take a seat. Still confused about what had just happened, I went back to my desk. I got a few snickers from my surrounding peers and a few pats on the back.

"Alright class, let's begin."

* * *

Time seemed to have passed rather quickly. Since there was an odd amount of students in the room, I had to remain partners with Mr. Grayson, which wasn't all that bad. He gave me pointers on what I did wrong the first time (besides closing my eyes) and helped me with my defense.

The bell seemed to ring all too soon, and we were all forced to pack up our belongings.

"Good job today class," said as he watched us file out the room. Again, I was the last to leave the room. As I was about to turn the corner, a question bubbled up. I quickly turned around, knocking at his door. Mr. Grayson stood up and turned to me.

"Mr. Logan? I thought you left," he said in confusion, pushing up his glasses. He then sat at his desk and began sorting through the stacks of paper.

"I uh... Had a question to ask you." I said nervously.

"And that may be?" He said, bring some paper to his face.

"Do you have a power?" He looked up for a split of a second before grabbing a highlighter and marking the paper.

"No. Why do you ask?"

"It's just usually people who don't have any powers are great combat fighters, but I didn't want to assume." I shrugged.

"Well, I guess I just helped to prove your theory." He said, turning a page.

"How did you get so good?" I asked, out of curiosity. He looked up with a small smirk on his face.

"Wouldn't you like to know, Garfield." For some reason, him saying my name sent a chill down my spine. It was the first time I heard him say it, and I was glad he never did during class. The way it so smoothly ran off his tounge made my stomach churn and my cheeks flush.

"Oh, well...that was all I wanted to know," I said lamely, beginning to head out the door.

"Have a nice day," He said, though it sounded forced. Just as I was about to leave, another question struck me.

"Hey Mr. Grayson?" I said cautiously. He didn't look up.

"Hm?"

"You always have a lot of papers to grade. Maybe sometimes after school I could help you." I mentally slapped myself after I said this. Why was I offering to spend more time after school with someone I didjn't like?

But then he turned to me, and I swear it felt like a died then came back to life. Mr. Grayson, dark blue eyes, stoic expression, thick rimmed glasses, smiled at me. And oh, could his smile could save lives. I felt weak at the knees, as I waited for his answer.

"I would like that."

**Ok I realize it has been lover a year since I posted this, and reading it I realize how much potential this story has. Thanks to those that followed, favorite, or reviewed and still took the time to read this story after this long! **

**So I don't really remember what I had planned for this story, so I guess I'm just winging it. **

**As always, please review!**


	4. Chapter 4: Wednesday

There's things you tend to notice when you're alone with you're teacher.

First of all, he was undeniably handsome. Well, I've stated this before, and so have others, but I wasn't able to take in his full detail. Like the way his nose was slightly crooked, like he had broken it; maybe a couple times. Or the way his lips were always chapped, so he constantly licked his lips to soften them. His hair seemed to not lie down flat on its own; like if the gel wasn't there to hold it down it would pop up like a porcupine. Most people would say he had the "perfect" face, but I knew better.

Another thing I noticed was I absolutely knew nothing about him. Given, he hasn't even been my teacher for a full week, but that's hardly an excuse not to know his first name. All of my teachers, and previous teachers, were more than happy to give out their first names on the first day of school; not him though. I've done a little researching on my own (call me creepy) and found absolutly nothing on his files. It was as if the man popped out of nowhere and deemed himself a teacher.

He was, in fact, a living mystery. Behind those dark, thick rimmed glasses, he was hiding something. Something that probably no one else in this world knows. No one could be so perfect. No one could ignore countless of girls swooning at him, and countless of guys giving him envious stares. No one could be so wrapped up in his own mind that he rarely smiles. And I knew absolutely no one had stacks of paperwork on his desk since the first day of school!

Oh, he was hiding something. And I was going to find out.

"Something catch your eye, Garfield?" Mr. Grayson asked, looking up at me through the top of his glasses. I blushed, dropping my head back down to my stack of papers. Another thing I've noticed was that he only called me by my first name when we were alone. Not once has he addressed me by "Mr. Logan". And secretly I wished he did. The way he said my first name did things to me.

"N-no sir!" I mutter, putting the final grade on the top of the paper. 70, barely passing. And I thought I needed help. I heard him sigh.

"I've told you already not to call me sir," he groaned. "Makes me feel old." I could already imagine him now; fingers punching his nose, a slight shake to his head, and a visible frown. I looked up...exactly what I had imagined.

"If you don't mind me asking," I found myself asking. "How old are you?" Hearing this his head shot up and he looked at me. His expression wasn't angered or anything, just shocked that I had asked the question. Honestly, the dude kind of walked into that one.

"That's a little personal don't you think?" He said, with a slight shake of his head, though I could see the small smile.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours," At this, Mr. Grayson laughed. Like, actually laughed in my face! I wasn't even trying to be funny! He only allowed him about a couple seconds to do so though, because soon he calmed down enough to wipe his eyes.

"How old are we, ten?" He laughed. "Besides, I already know your age." At this I blushed. Right...teacher. He probably already read my files by now. "But if you really must know, I'm twenty-one. I'll be turning twenty-two next month."

I blinked.

"Dude, are you even old enough to be a teacher?" I somewhat yelled. Everyone I knew who was a teacher was at least twenty-five years or older. Heck, he was barely an adult!

"Yes?" He said, with a slight cock of his head. He pushed his glasses up his nose, shuffling some papers. "And...how old are you?"

"I thought you already knew my age." I said with a raised eyebrow. He shrugged, waiting for my response. I sighed. "I'm seventeen, eighteen in December."

"Interesting." He smiled. I raised my eyebrow at him again. I tried to ignore the nagging feeling in my voice that told me his tone had double meaning. He hadn't said in any special way, but my head gets messed up ideas sometimes and right now it was telling me that he sounded...flirtatious? No, I doubt Mr. Grayson would be.

"It's getting late," I said finally, sick of arguing with myself over a simple word. "My parents will start to get worried." I pick myself up from the desk, handing my teacher two stacks of paper. He thanked me, as I quickly walked out the room.

"Same time tomorrow, I presume?" I heard Mr. Grayson call after me. I paused, if only for a moment, and flashed him a smile that said 'sounds like a plan'. I then continued my trek out the school.

Once safely to my moped, I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. My face felt hot, and I was sure they were red with embarrassment. I quickly mounted on my bike and sped down the high road. No way was I going home with my emotions flaring like this.

* * *

Victor was an all around nice guy. He was not only the school jock, techie, and honors student, but he was also the tin man with a big heart. I guess that's how we connected so well. We just wanted others to be happy. I trust Vic with my life, which was why he was the first person I came out to.

Have I mentioned that yet? I don't think I have. Well I, Garfield Mark Logan, am bi. I lean more towards the ladies though. In fact, I just recently got dumped by my ex girlfriend, Terra. I don't really like to talk about it.

Well, as I said, Vic was the first person I came out to. (I had to countless my reassure him that I didn't have feelings for him because...ew.) He accepted me, told me he had a hunch that I was when he first met me. Said I sometimes act a little fruity (which I don't!) and that it didn't change anything between us. He actually helped me come out to my family, and eventually the rest of the school.

I knew I could talk to him about anything.

"What do you mean you stayed after school with him?" He practically yelled in my face. "I thought you didn't like him!" I raised my eyebrow. All I told him, and I quote, 'I stayed after school with him today', and he totally exploded. Not the reaction I was looking for.

"Did he hurt you? Because I swear to god Gar if he touched you-"

"Dude! What are you talking about?" I interrupted him. He stopped, seeing my confused expression.

"We're not talking about Adonis, are we?"

"Mr. Grayson." I said slowly. His face heated up in embarrassment. "Do you honestly think I'd be messing around with that loser?"

Adonis was always on my back, ever since freshman year. He wanted to prove that he was better than me for some reason, always challenging me to spar with him (honestly, he was nothing without his suit). When word got out that I swung both ways though things changed. He would always hit on me, ask me if I wanted to hang out after school and whatnot. I was not interested, but the dude can't take no for an answer.

One day he went too far. Shoving me onto a locker and trying to force a kiss on me, maybe something else. He didn't have time to do much else though because a few seconds later he was on the ground unconscious. He got his spar, I guess, if you could even call it that. Let's just say, the jerk hasn't tried that again. But he still tries to hit on me, which gets really annoying.

"Just forget I said anything." He said, taking a seat beside me on his bed. "But still, just a couple days ago you said you didn't like him."

"I know!" I said, shooting my hands out in front of me. "I don't even know why I offered to stay with him!" Victor shrugged.

"Maybe deep down in your little messed up heart you like him." I scoffed.

"As if! He embarrassed me the first day of school! And yesterday-"

"And today?" I scrunched my nose. Today was a blur actually. I couldn't recall much we did in his class, we mostly took notes. I might've zoned out halfway through; I tend to do that when I'm not interested.

"No..." I said finally. Victor shrugged, tossing me a controller.

"Maybe you got a thing for your teacher." He smirked. "A bit scandalous if you ask me." I stuck my tounge out at him, but I didn't deny it. The subject dropped once the game turned on, and at that moment I forgot about Mr. Grayson.

* * *

**I'm determined to finish this story, even if a lot of people haven't read it. I like the idea and I don't see a reason why I shouldn't continue it.**

**whoo! Fast update. I guess I should go work on my other stories now. Not much happened but all good things come to those who wait.**

**Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5: Thursday

Another uneventful day at school passed.

As much as I hate to admit it, the only thing I was looking forward to was grading papers with Mr. Grayson. Well, not so much the grading part. I found myself wanting to spend time with my odd teacher. There was a lot more to him than he would ever admit. And I was just the person to crack it out of him.

_Maybe you have a thing for your teacher. A bit scandalous if you ask me. _

Victor's words still rang in my head like a bad cold. I was interested in him, yes, but to go as far as to think I liked him was just preposterous! He was a mystery that had yet to be solved. Growing up with Steve has lead me to be hyper-aware of the people around me. I wanted to know just what he was hiding. Vic wouldn't understand that.

Still, I hadn't denied it when he said it, which probably made him think he was right. Honestly, I wasn't that desperate to be in a relationship! And hitting on your teacher is beyond desperate. I would never sink so low as to act like one of my many female classmates, constantly throwing themselves at the oblivious teacher.

Like Kitten.

Just moments ago she had sauntered up to his desk, swaying her non exestant hips. She had gone up to supposingly "ask for help" on a rather difficult question on her work sheet. As Mr. Grayson began to explain the problem, she shamelessly leaned over the desk, exposing a good bit of cleavage to his face. A pathetic attempt to get his attention.

As it happened I felt a ping of rage shoot through me. But Mr. Grayson was clueless as to what was going on. That, or he did not care. When he looked up and saw nothing but breast, he frowned. To my pleasure, he told Kitten that being provocative would not help her get a better final grade.

Embarressed and shocked, she let out a bratty 'humph', taking back her paper and marching back to her desk on the other side of the room. I could see how disappointed she was from the corner of my eye, and I allowed myself to smirk.

Served her right.

The bell rang and I took my worksheets and stuffed them in my backpack. I waited for the rest of the class to file out before making my way to Mr. Grayson's desk. He had his nose buried in paperwork, but upon feeling my presence he looked up. He then smiled, realizing it was me. For some reason it made my heart skip a beat.

"Mr. Logan, how can I help you?" I shifted my weight on my feet slightly.

"I...uh...the papers." I said lamely, shifting my eyes to the stack of papers on his desk. His eyes widen slightly.

"Ah yes," he said, giving me a stack. "I almost forgot you had offered. It's a bit strange that you would want to continue."

"It's not a problem."

"And I appreciate your help."

I gave him a sideways smile before taking a seat on the closest desk to his. I took out a pen and began marking the first sheet. We worked in relative silence for a few minutes, aside from the clicking of pens and disappointed sighs from Mr. Grayson. I decided to take a quick peek at him.

He was currently running his fingers through his gelled hair, messing up the once neatly placed strands. His glasses hung on the bridge of his nose, and he was licking his lips profusely. His brows were scrunched in concentration. With another exasperated sigh, he marked the paper.

"I just don't understand," he said, shooting his head up towards me. I was shocked that he could've noticed me staring, but that seemed to be the lease of his worries. "Is what I'm teaching difficult?"

His voice sounded annoyed and slightly angered. I didn't know if it was a rhetorical question or not, so I just went with a slight shake of my head.

"I mean, look at this!" He said, holding up the paper he just graded. "When fighting your enemy you must use all the force you have within you to take them down! Thinking like this will get you killed in the real word! Have I taught you all nothing?"

I was speechless for the moment. I still couldn't really tell if he was talking to me or himself, so I just listened to him rant. He shook his head, grabbing another paper.

"And this moron said the best way to defeat your enemy is by appearing weak and then giving them the 'big bam'. What does that even mean?" He shook his head again, chuckling slightly. "The only person who seems to understand this you, Garfield. How do I make them understand that the life of a superhero is not like what it is in the movie?"

Now I was sure that he was talking to me, and I kind of wished he wasn't. I shrugged.

"The only reason I know what I know is because I worked alongside the Doom Patrol for most of my life. I had hands on experience so I know what it's like. Most of my classmates are arrogant about what they can do and think that because they have powers they're undeafeatable." I answered truthfully.

"I see." He said, pressing his lips together. Something about his tone made me squirm a little in my seat. He then nodded to himself, and flashed me a small smile. "Thanks, Garfield. You just gave me an idea."

Somehow, I knew I would regret saying what I said.

* * *

About an hour and a half passed, and the stack of papers had become noticeably denser. We worked in relative silence, besides the few questions of how I was doing from Mr. Grayson.

I could tell Mr. Grayson was wondering when I would leave. Given, I only stayed for about half and hour yesterday. Still, he wasn't going to ask me why I hadn't left yet, and honestly I didn't know why either. My hand was starting to cramp, and I still had homework to do tonight.

"Um...Mr. Grayson, I think I'm going to head home." He looked up from his stacks of paper, his eyebrow slightly raised.

"Oh?" He said, pushing his glasses up. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't ever leave." I couldn't tell if he was joking or not, but I handed him my two stacks of paper regardlessly. I flung my backpack around my shoulders.

"see you tomorrow." I say sheepishly. He nodded, giving me a small smile.

"Likewise." He said. "And thanks for the help, Garfield." I nodded, before quickly making my way out the room. I tried to hold down my blush as I rounded the corner. Honestly, he didn't even say anything special and I was getting hot. Just what was he doing to me?

As I turned another corner, I ran into something hard and medal. I stumbled back slightly.

"Oh, Gar. I didn't expect to see you still here." I could've groaned. I honestly didn't have time for this. I looked up to see Adonis smiling cockingly at me. He was wearing his big medal suit, which changed since the last time I've seen it. I frowned.

"I could say the same thing." I retorted.

"I've been working on a few upgrades. You like?" He wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I scoffed, folding my arms.

"I'm trying to get home so if you can excuse me-" I tried to walk past, only for him to step in front of me.

"What's the rush, baby? Don't you want to see just what Adonis did to make his suit better?" If it were possible, my frown got deeper.

"First of all, I am _not _your baby." I shot. "And it'd be a shame if I ruined your suit again, so I suggest you move out of my way." His smile faltered slightly, and I took that as a victory.

I pushed passed him, but only got a couple steps before I felt cold medal wrap around my wrist. I turned around and glared at the hunk of machine. Adonis smirked widely.

"Let go of me." I growled between my teeth. Adonis,s smirk only grew.

"I don't think you understand. Adonis doesn't take no as an answer." Before I had time to comprehend what was happening, I was being flung against the lockers behind me. My head hit the medal painfully, and I was sure I would be feeling it in the morning.

Adonis grabbed my other wrist, pinning both of them on either side of my head. I glared up at him.

"What do you think you're doing?" I spat. Adonis shrugged.

"Just finishing where we left off. " I struggled to get out of his hold, only for him to squeeze harder. I winced.

"You're hurting me." I say between gritted teeth. He raised an eyebrow.

"oh, am I?" The grips around my wrist got harder, and I let out a suppressed whine. This only fueled his fire, and I felt the medal tighten even more. I was sure that he would have no problem snapping my wrist. "I'll stop...only if you give me a kiss."

I shot my head towards him.

"Never." He simply smiled at my answer.

"Suit yourself." Tears stung my eyes as I felt his grip slowly tighten more. I couldn't stop the screams of protest as it felt like my wrists would break any second now. Just as I was about succumb to his request, I heard a cough from behind.

We both turned to see where was the source the sound came from. To my surprise, Mr. Grayson stood behind Adonis; and let's just say he looked anything but happy.

"I do believe I heard him say stop." He said coolly, though I could hear the venom in his voice. Adonis laughed.

"And I do believe that we were minding our own business." Adonis mocked. He then squeezed again, causing me to whine. I could see from the corner of my eyes Mr. Grayson tense slightly. He let his folded arms drop.

"Let go of him immediately or else-"

"or else what? You'll send me to the principals office? Detention? Doesn't faze Adonis."

"No." Mr. Grayson said, rolling up his sleeves. "I have a different way of dealing with pompous jerks like you." My eyes widen, and I could see Adonis's shocked expression too.

"Oh, I see." Adonis said, letting go of me. I dropped to the floor with a thud, instantly caressing my swollen wrists. Adonis cracked his robotic knuckles. "Been waiting for a good spar since forever. Pay close attention, babe, this could've been us." He shot me a wink before turning to my teacher.

Mr. Grayson stood calmly, even as Adonis towered over him. He raised his arms defensively, a slight bounce in his feet. Adonis grinned. He drew his hand back, and launched a fist at him. The movement was fast, and if it were me in Mr. Grayson's position, I would've been hit. But he dodged it with such effortlessness it looked as if it had been the slowest punch in the world.

Adonis looked just as shocked that he was able to dodge the punch, but that quickly disappeared as he threw the next one...and the next one. Mr. Grayson expertly dodged each throw without breaking a sweat. I watched as Adonis got tired from using all his energy to try and hit him, but not one has met his mark.

I watch as his punches began to slow until they were nothing but weak attempts to keep going. He stumbled slightly, panting heavily. With one more final thrust, he used up all the energy he had left. Mr. Grayson stepped to the side, causing Adonis to trip over himself and fall to the ground.

I watched awe struck as Adonis shakily stood up. He walked up to Mr. Grayson, who glared up at him. They stared at each other for a good minute before Adonis took a quick step at the teacher, smiling triumphantly when he stepped back. He gave me one final look before pushing past Mr. Grayson, leaving the two of us in the hallway.

Mr. Grayson let out a huff, running his fingers through his hair and shaking his head. He then looked at me, as if just remembering I was there. He quickly made his way towards me, offering me his hand.

I took it, even though I was still shocked beyond belief. I stood up and attempted to pull my hand away, only for him to keep my hand in his grasp. He began to examine my wrist, which was slightly swollen and turning a sickening purple. I jumped when I felt his fingers graze against it. That small touch, even through the pain, caused shiver to course down my spine.

He pulled away, sensing my discomfort. He mutter something along the lines 'douchebag' under his breath.

"How about we go back to my classroom. I have a first aid kit," Mr. Grayson said, giving me a small, sympathetic smile. I nodded, still too stunned to say anything. I silently followed him to his class, rubbing my hands where he last touched it.

* * *

It didn't take long for Mr. Grayson to fix me up. There wasn't much he could do, after all. Nothing had broken or fractured, but my wrist had swelled considerably. He put some ointment on it, saying it will help lessen the swell. My wrists had turned purple with rings of blue, which contradicted my green skin.

"How are you feeling?" Mr. Grayson asked, standing up and wiping his hand off. I shrugged.

"Fine." I said, rolling my joint. He eyed me wearily, but continued to put the supplies back.

"Who was that guy, a friend of yours?" I could sense the sarcasm in his voice. I rolled my eyes.

"He wishes. That was Adonis." I spat his name like a curse word. Mr. Grayson nodded.

"Just what was he trying to do?" I froze. I felt my face heat up. Why, I didn't know. It just felt embarrassing to admit it to him.

"He uh...wanted a kiss." I muttered. He raised his eyebrow. "The jerk has been trying for years."

"So this isn't the first time he's done this?" He questioned. I gave a nonchalant shrug. He gave me a look, turning serious. "Have you told anyone about this?"

"Yeah, but usually I can handle it myself. If you hadn't come when you did I would've given him something he'd regret." I offered him a grin, but he just frowned at me. He didn't believe me, and to be honest, I didn't believe myself.

When I felt as if he would break my wrists I couldn't think strait. Adonis never went as far as to actually hurt me, and I couldn't concentrate enough to use my powers. If Me. Grayson hadn't shown up then I don't know what would have happened.

I jumped off the desk, but instantly regretted it as I felt a pain shoot through my head. Right, I had hit it. Mr. Grayson noticed my pain and gave me a look.

"I...hit my head against the locker." I said sheepishly. He shook his head, opening the first aid kit again. He handed me two pills.

"Pain killers." He said curtly. I nodded, swallowing the dry pills. I then grabbed my things.

"Thanks Mr. Grayson...for everything."

"I could take you home if you'd like." He said, seemingly just noticing that I was beginning to leave. I stopped. It was a promising offer, but I wouldn't be able to handle being embarrassed again.

"My house isn't that far away. I'll be fine." I said.

"Alright," he said, though he didn't sound convinced. "Just be careful, alright?" He sounded like he genuinely cared for my well-being, which made my stomach churn. I definatly should go.

I nodded, quickly leaving the room.

* * *

**I'm really enjoying writing this story! and another fast update, I'm on a role!**

**please review!**


	6. Chapter 6: Friday

It was the middle of August, and the blistering heat of summer had yet to cool down. I was practically dying on my way to school.

I decided it best not to tell anyone about my incident with Adonis. As much as the jerk deserved it, he wasn't worth the wrath my friends and family would've lashed on him. So, today I wore a large, gray sweatshirt to conceal the bruises. The sleeves almost touched my finger tips, and the hem stopped mid thigh. I tried to tuck it in a couple of time, but I only looked more ridiculous.

By the time I pulled into the school parking lot, I was drenched. My moped offered little help with my predicament. But it would all be worth it once I got into the building. I could cool off and try to dry the sweat stains on my shirt with the hand dryers. As long as nobody saw my wrists, I was fine.

I quickly made my way into the building, speed walking to the nearest bathroom I could find. I got to school early, so I didn't expect to run into anyone. I checked each of the stalls, and was relieved to see that each was empty.

Throwing off the wet sweatshirt, I made my way over to the hand drier. As I was drying the cloth, my mind kept wandering back to yesterday; to Mr. Grayson. He'd beaten Adonis without laying a single finger on him! And Adonis wasn't that bad of a fighter either. How could he make things look so effortless? He hadn't even broken a sweat.

"Gar?" I jumped at the sound of my name. I quickly threw my hands behind my back, before turning to see who the perpetrator was. To my surprise, and displeasure, it was Roy. I glared up at him.

"Roy." I stated. He raised his eyebrow but shrugged. He then turned on the sink and turned the faucet on.

"Didn't expect to see you here so early." He said, washing his hands.

"I had things I needed to do." I said, still eyeing him suspiciously. He turned off the faucet, shaking his hands to rid the water. He then took a step towards me, and I felt myself taking a step back, trying to conceal my hands.

"The drier." He said, nodding his head towards the hand drier that I was currently blocking. I blushed, taking a step to the side. He gave me an odd look before placing his hands underneath the machine. About half a minute passed before he divided his hands were dry.

"See you around, yeah?" He said turning on his heel.

"I guess," I mumbled. Before he walked out the door, he sent me one last look. I couldn't exactly read his expression, but I knew he was thinking hard about something. A moment later, he waved and walked out the bathroom.

I sighed, trying to stop my racing heart.

* * *

I got through the day with little questions about my odd choice of fashion. During lunch, the gang teased me, but they didn't seem to suspect anything was seriously wrong.

The final bell rang, and I quickly gathered my things. All I had to worry about now was surviving Mr. Grayson's class. I knew he wouldn't so easily forget what had happened yesterday. I knew he would keep an eye out on me.

As I turn the corner into his hallway, I noticed him standing outside the door, greeting the students as they entered. Of course he would pick today to stand there. I kept my head down as I made my way to his door.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Logan." I still didn't look up to him as I tried to walk past him. Just as I was about to enter the room he placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me in my track. I looked up. Mr. Grayson had an unreadable expression as he eyed me up and down. "How are you today?" His voice was tainted with suspicion. I shuddered.

"I'm fine," I say gruffly, shaking him off my shoulder. I quickly walked into the classroom, taking a seat at my desk. I watched as a couple more students enter before the late bell rang. Mr. Grayson shut the door behind him.

"Don't bother unpacking," he said, walking to the center of the floor. He clapped his hands together with a small smile. "We have a field trip today." The class erupted with surprised murmurs. It wasn't unheard of for teachers to spring out a surprise trip, but it was unheard to happen on the first week of school.

Mr. Grayson quieted down the class enough for him to tell them to gather their things and head to the bus loop. I waited for the rest of the class to leave to go up to Mr. Grayson with a questioning look.

"A field trip?" I said, placing my hands on my hips. Mr. Grayson shrugged, grabbing his satchel.

"You gave me the idea, Mr. Logan."

"Me?" I said incredulously. He smiled and began walking out the classroom. I quickly followed behind him. "How did I give you this idea?" I said in a hushed voice; the rest of the class weren't that far ahead of us.

"You were right. These kids haven't experienced what it's like in the real world. It's high time they see." I was silent for the moment. For some reason I knew I was going to regret giving him this idea.

It wasn't long before we reached the bus. Sadly, I was the last student to get on the bus, and it looked like all the seats had already doubled up. I slowly made my way down the aisle. Yep, no one had an open seat.

"Hey Gar, over here!" I heard someone call over the voices of the teens. I turned towards the voice, and I instantly groaned. Roy was standing at the back of the bus ushering me to sit next to him. Sadly, I didn't have a choice, and I begrudgingly made my way to the very back of the bus.

I asked for the window seat, and he gladly gave me it. I gave him a weary thank you, taking a seat. He sat down beside me and began talking to Garth in the seat across from us. I sighed in relief.

Soon, I felt the bus rev up. I looked up for a split of a second. Mr. Grayson was in the drivers seat. I could see the top half of his face from the mirror above him. I turned back to the window and watched as the school seem to grow smaller and smaller. I took out my cell phone and ear buds, and was about to tune out the rest of the world when I felt hot breath down my neck.

"I've noticed you've been hanging around Mr. Grayson a lot lately." I shot my head towards Roy. He threw his hands up in defense, leaning back a little.

"Are you spying on me, Harper?" I said in an accusing tone. He chuckled a bit, shaking his head.

"I like you Garfield-" I scoffed. "And I'm sorry for earlier this week. I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Well you did." I said, through gritted teeth.

"You know I would never intentionally do that. Like I said, I like you." I eyed him wearily.

"You never answered my question." I said. He smiled softly.

"I just say it how I see," he nodded upwards. "And somethings seriously wrong with that guy." I followed his gaze, which lead to Mr. Grayson, whose eyes were steadily on the road in front of him. I turned back to him.

"What's wrong with him?" I asked. Roy rolled his eyes as if it were obvious.

"Come on, he's beyond weird. How many teachers do you know take you on a field trip the first week of school...always talking about fighting enemies...flip his student on the ground like a rag doll? To this day I still don't know what superhero anatomy means." I pressed my lips together. He certainly wasn't like any of my teachers I had before, but that doesn't mean he was anything to watch out for.

"Look, I'm not trying to tell you how to live your life...just be careful alright?" I eyed him angrily. "I saw your wrists." He added.

"what are you implying?" I growled. He shrugged, smirking.

"Like I said, I say what I see." He then turned around, wrapping himself in another conversation with Garth. I sighed, bringing my earbuds to my ears. As soon as I got a song playing, I crossed my arms and stared out the window.

* * *

The bus pulled to a stop. It was only about a fifteen minute ride, and I instantly recognized our location when we stopped. We were in the heart of Jump City. I raised my eyebrows. What could we possibly learn here?

We unloaded from the bus, each giving our teacher an incredulous stare. He smiled warmly, inhaling deeply. We were standing in the middle of a busy street, and people were giving us weird looks.

"Let's walk, shall we?" Mr. Grayson said, turning on his heel. The class gave each other confused looks, but followed him anyways. We all walked in a stunned silence. I could only imagine what my peers were thinking.

Roy was walking beside Garth and Karen a few paces ahead of me, but from time to time I would see him turn back towards me. I knew what he was thinking. 'I told you something was wrong with him'. I shot him a glare each time he back.

About ten minutes passed and not a word was shared from my ominous teacher. He never turned back to us to see if we were still following him. I could tell students were starting to get antsy.

Suddenly, he stopped, causing something resemble a train crash to everyone else. We looked at him confused, expecting him to say something. We did not expect for him to grab a random woman walking by, dig in his satchel, and hold a knife to her throat in a blink of an eye.

"Now," he said, turning around to meet us. We all took a step back in shock. The woman he held helpless, started to panic and wiggle away. Only for him to place the knife against her cheek, drawing up blood. "The only way you can save this woman is by not using your powers. I will not hesitate to end her life if I see any of you even attempt to use your powers."

I looked at Mr. Grayson in pure shock. I looked at my classmates, who all wore similar expressions. People walking in the street began to stop and stare at us.

"Are you crazy?" Someone yelled, bringing me out of my stupor. I looked up. Not so surprising, it was Roy. He had his hands clenched in a tight fist. "I don't need powers to beat your-"

I grabbed his wrist, stopping him from storming to my still smiling teacher. He watched us with amusement, while the woman beside him began crying.

"Don't," I warned. " that's just what he wants."

"What do you mean? There's twenty of us, and one of him. We can take him." There were a few nods in agreement from our surrounding peers, who had made a small circle around us.

"It's a trick. Do you really think he wouldn't have realized that?" I growled. "And none of us are really skilled without our powers, but he is." I said, darting mr eyes to Mr. Grayson. "He can take each of us."

"I would listen to Mr. Logan," Mr. Grayson cooed. I shook my head, directing my attention back to the group.

"What do you suggest then?" Roy asked, yanking his arm out of my grip. I pressed my lips together in concentration.

"We have to know our enemy, right? We have to know when and where to attack. He has a weak spot." I said, looking at each of my classmates.

"Tick toc, students. I'm getting bored." Mr. Grayson yawned. I frowned.

"I have a plan."

* * *

We quickly got to our positions, most of the class had surrounded Mr. Grayson and the woman. Around us there was a swarm of nosy citizens, waiting to see just how we would save this woman. I stood behind, waiting for my cue.

There was a yell, and one by one the students chafed at Mr. Grayson. I watched in amazement as Mr. Grayson expertly kicked away my peers while still managing to hold on to the woman. It was as if it was the simplest task he could have.

"You kids really haven't been paying attention," Mr. Grayson chuckled after sending a kick onto the chest of Wally, sending him crashing into Kitten. He had his back towards me, still scolding the rest of my peers.

I knew it was now or never.

I quickly ran towards him. He didn't seem to notice me until I was but a few feet away from him. As he turned around to kick me, I skillfully front flipped onto his shoulders. Before, I landed, I grabbed his glasses.

He seemed shocked that I did this, and I took that moment to kick him in the chest, causing him to stumble over and let go of the knife and the woman. I caught the woman before she was able to hit the ground, and Roy was right beside me a split of a second later, picking up the knife.

"Are you alright?" I asked the woman. By this time the rest of the students had gathered around us. Some were still panting from their brief fight with Mr. Grayson. Which reminded me, where was he?

From a distance I heard the sound of slow clapping. Al heads turned to see where the source of the sound had came from. Mr. Grayson was walking towards us, a large smile plastered on his face. I was even more surprised when the woman beside me began clapping also.

"Excellent job, students!" He said, almost too excitedly for a person who was about to be sent to jail. I felt a squeeze on my shoulder.

"Yes, excellent job...to all of you." Said the woman. I gave her an incredulous look, and I was sure that my peers were too. Mr. Grayson now made himself visible to the rest of the group. He had stopped clapping, but he still wore his almost sadistic smile.

"I'd like you all to meet Barbara. I asked her to help me with my...experiment...and you all passed the test!" There was a moment of silence. I couldn't speak. I felt ready to punch this guy in the face!

"This was-was a prank?" Someone yelled, breaking the silence.

"Not so much of a prank, think of it more as a lesson. It would've been fruitless to teach you about the ups and downs of being a hero without you actually experiencing it." Mr. Grayson said.

"When Richard asked me to help out...well, how could I say no? He always wants to go above and beyond for what is needed." Barbara chimed in, squeezing my teachers cheeks.

"Barbara, not in front of the students." Mr. Grayson groaned, batting her away. "Don't worry, this all was staged. Even the people in the back were part of the project." He motioned towards the crowd of people, who waved. "I got permission from your principal, and he thought it would be a good idea also."

No one argued. I couldn't tell if they were too stunned to or too afraid to. Either way I could tell no one was at ease. We all waited in silence as Mr. Grayson and Barbara exchanged goodbyes. No one said a word as we walked back to the bus, and on the way back to the school a pin drop could be easily heard.

We arrived back at the school with only a minute to spare. When the dismissal bell rang, a few quiet farewells were exchanged, but everyone still seemed on edge. I was torn between leaving and not looking back at my crazed teacher and going to go see just what was wrong with him. So I just stood awkwardly in the hallway a few feet away from his door.

Sadly, my feet seemed to have a mind of its own, and I unconsciously made my way to Mr. Grayson's door. He seemed to notice me instantly, as he looked up from his stack of papers to look at me.

"Ah, Garfield. I had hoped you showed up. Come in." He wore a small smile, totally different from the one he wore just half an hour ago. I hesitantly walk into the room, stopping once I was a few feet from his desk. I saw his eyes flash underneath his glasses, and it sent a shiver down my spine.

"So, how did you like my experiment?" He asked. I shuffled uncomfortably, pressing my lips together.

"I honestly don't have any words for it." I finally said after a moment of thought. He hummed, tapping his pencil on his desk.

"Perhaps..." He said, whether to himself or to me, I didn't know. "Perhaps it was a bit much for the lot of you." I shuffled again slightly. Cautiously, I took a seat at desk closest to his. He was still tapping his pencil.

"I think everyone's pretty afraid of you now." I say slowly. His head darts towards me, and I feel like cowering back, but I restrained. His eyes flashed again, and a smirk graced his features.

"Really?" He said, almost amused. "But...your not?" He asked, eyeing me. I found myself shrugging. He leaned back in his chair, swaying from side to side slowly. "I have to admit, you showed great leadership skills today."

I shouldn't have blushed, but I did. He must've noticed too, because I say his smirk grow deeper.

"What can I say...I learn from the best." I say sheepishly.

"Ah yes, I've read about you and the Doom Patrol. It's no wonder you understand so vividly." My eyes widen slightly.

"You've read about me?" I say in slight shock. His eyes widen a bit also, as if just realizing what he said. He coughed, sitting up and grabbing a stack of paper.

"We're getting off topic, aren't we? I assume you came here to help with grading, correct?" He said. I raised my eyebrow at the sudden change of subject, but took the stack he was handing to me regardless.

"Thanks?" I say, beginning to mark my first paper. About half the page later a small grin began to form as I remembered something from earlier. "So your first name is Richard?" I say, amusingly.

It was the first time I saw Mr. Grayson blush.

* * *

**Well that was a mouthful! I really should start working on my sequel but I'm honestly to in love with this story to start it. Ok, so the next chapters won't be so day by day and will be more spread out. If I did that this story would have like...100 chapters!**

**If you haven't already, check out some of my other stories! *I know, I shouldn't be self promoting***

**As always, please review!**


	7. Chapter 7: An (un)fortunate clash

"So you're telling me your teacher tried to kill a woman just to get his point across?"

I sighed, nodding. Honestly, how many times do I have to explain this to them? Was I speaking a foreign language or something?

"That's crazy." Raven said, her usual uncaring demeanor now a shocked one. I shrugged.

"I know it's crazy, but it worked." I offered. "No one is saying that being a superhero is easy anymore."

"Yes...but is it not strange that he would demonstrate as such?" I shrugged again. Kori mumbled something about 'strange earthlings', but I didn't pay much attention to her.

"Don't tell me your still seeing this freak." I heard Victor groan from beside me. I chuckled slightly, rubbing the back of my neck. His shoulders dropped and he shook his head. "You're even crazier than he is."

"Dude, he's not that bad!" I groaned. "Besides, we're not here to talk about my teacher, remember?" My friends slowly nodded, but I knew they were still thinking about him. "So..." I began awkwardly.

Raven stood up, placing a jar on the table. Then Kori did the same, followed by me, and the Vic. Together, we dropped the contents on the table. The money fell out with loud clangs as they all clashed together. Victor sighed, scooping the money up. We all watched in anticipation as he counted the money, and the again.

"Is it enough?" I asked excitedly. Raven shushed me, but I knew she was wondering the same thing. Victor counted one last time before sighing. He then looked at each of us, a sad expression on his face. I felt myself deflate.

"I don't know how to say this guys..." He said, bowing his head and shaking it. "But with this money and the rest we have saved up...we have enough to buy our penthouse and then some!" He suddenly jumped out of his seat and began dancing, chanting 'Booyah' all the while.

It only took a moment for my shock to wear off before I was up and dancing also. I head Kori cheer, and she began flying around the room saying 'how glorious is this day!' I could see from the corner of my eye Raven was smiling slightly, which was just as good for her celebrating.

This was great, better than great even. When we all met freshman year, we had all agreed that when we graduated we would become our own superhero team; like the Justice League but better! We had all been saving up to buy a house together since that year, and now this dream was finally coming true!

"Friends, we must do the celebrating!" Kori cheered, grabbing Ravens wrists and twirling her around. I could tell Raven wasn't happy she had been touched. Lord forbid if it had been me who had done that. Considering it was Kori though, I guess she let it slide. She always did have a soft spot for her.

"All you can eat buffet!" Victor yelled, rubbing his hands together greedily. I groaned. Whenever we went to buffets, Victor always stuffed his face with whatever meat he could find. Quite disgusting actually.

"No way dude." I mumbled, already feeling sick just thinking about it.

"Then what do you suggest, green bean?" He said, leaning down to my level. I smirked, tapping my finger on my chin.

"Well..."

...

"Are you insane, Gar? This is completely illegal!" Raven scolded. I simply shrugged, flashing her a toothy grin.

"We can't go in there. We're under aged." Cyborg hissed. I giggled, digging in my pocket and pulling out four I.D cards that may or may not have been real. They gawked at me. "You're crazy."

"Come on dudes! It's not like we're gonna do something we're not supposed to. Besides, we're already here." I whined, crossing my arms. They couldn't deny that. Both Raven and Kori had put of skin tight dresses and heels. Well, Kori had forced her to. She also forced Raven to do her hair and makeup, which wasn't so bad after all. They could easily pass as being twenty one.

Victor, on the other hand looked naturally older, with his build and everything. I had convinced him to wear his holographic ring that his his robotic half. He now wore a plane gray t-shirt, leather jacket, and some dark jeans. Even I had to admit he looked nice.

The only person who might have trouble getting into the club was me. I hadn't exactly finished puberty yet, and I still looked a little babyish. I wore a white t shirt and some cut up distressed jeans. I had even taken the time to gel my hair, which hardly ever happened. It was a simple outfit, but I hoped it was enough to fool the guards.

"How do you even expect us to get in?" Raven question. A devious grin spend across my face, and I draped my arm around Kori's shoulder. She seemed shocked by the gesture.

"Kori of course!"

"Me?" She chirped, surprised.

"Sure, no one can say no to a pretty girl." I grinned.

"We are not using sweet little Kori to seduce the guards." Victor said with a shake to his head. I whined.

"Come on guys! It's not she has to do anything bad! Right, Kori?" I asked, shaking her slightly. She raised an eyebrow, obviously confused.

"I am not understanding? What is it that I have to do?"

"He wants you to flirt with the body guard so he can let us in." Raven moaned, rolling her eyes.

"Oh!" She cheered. "I can do that!"

"See, she's ok with it!" I agreed. My two other companions exchanged worried glances.

"If your ok with it-" Victor began but I cut him off.

"Great!" I said, pushing Kori towards the entrance. "Knock 'em dead girl!" Kori turned around with a weird expression, probably because she didn't understand the phrase. Nonetheless, she went up to the entrance to where the body guard stood.

We watched as she began casually talking, twiddling strands of hair between her fingers. She battered her eyelashes every so often, and when the guard said something, we saw her giggle. Oh, she was good.

She then pointed to us. The man followed her gaze to us, and we all nervously waved. He eyed us suspiciously before turning back to Kori. He nodded his head, and she squealed. She quickly made her way back to us, her smile never faultering.

"The nice man said you can all come in." She giggled. I shot the two behind me a look that said 'told you it would work'. We got in with little questions. All he did was ask for our I.D, to which he barely glanced at before giving it back.

Ok, so I've never actually been to a club before. The closest I got to one was in movies. I knew they were loud and crowded, I just didn't expect it to be this loud and crowded.

The music was loud and upbeat, and people everywhere were dancing. Among with the smell of dozens of sweaty bodies, I could also smell the intoxicatingly scent of alcohol. It was a whole new smell, and I wasn't quite sure if I liked it or not.

We all made our way through the dance floor, trying our best to stay together. Once we were finally in the clear, we made our way to one of the few empty tables. I smiled at my friends, who were giving me off looks.

"We're here, what now?" Raven said, a little bit above her normal speaking voice. The music was still loud, of course.

"Do whatever your hearts desire!" I said, flinging my arms in the air. "The night is yours. I think we deserve a little time to celebrate after working so hard." Kori clapped, grabbing Raven by the wrist.

"Come, friend Raven. I would like to dance to the tune of pop!" Kori had already began dragging Kori to the dancefloor before she could argue, leaving just me and Victor alone.

"I think I'm gonna go hit the bar, I saw some grub over there. You commin' with?" He said, pointing backwards. I shook my head.

"Nah dude, I'll pass. Go have fun." He shrugged.

"Just don't get yourself into trouble." He said, winking at me before turning on his heal, leaving me alone. I sighed. Normally, I would've been shaking my butt of right now, but I didn't feel like dancing for some reason. Instead, I began aimlessly walking around the club.

There were so many people making out that I had lost track after ten. And people who weren't making out were having drinking contests. I was asked by a few if I wanted to join, but I wasn't too keen on drinking so I passed. Plus I was under aged, it was bad enough that I was in here in the fist place.

I decided that it was probably best that I go freshen up. I was starting to feel a bit hot with all these people here. So I made my way to the bathroom. The hallway where it was located was relatively empty, besides the two people making out there. Honestly, could they not find a better place to do that?

I quickly walked into the men's bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I made my way up to the sink, turning on the faucet and splashing the cool water on my face. I had to admit, it did help. I wiped my face of with a couple of napkins before examining myself.

I hadn't looked too bad, considering it felt like my hair gel was melting on my scalp. I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to fix the strays that wanted to stick up. Once I was done, I fixed my shirt, and made some of the holes in my jeans a bit bigger. Once content with how I looked, I made my way out the door.

Just as I opened the door, I was staring face to face with somebody's chest. I coo could smell the heavy scent of whatever cologne he was wearing. I took a step back, embarrassed.

"Sorry about that dude." I looked up, and the color from my face instantly drained.

"Garfield?"

I felt like fainting then and there. Right in front of me, was my teacher, Mr. Grayson. He crossed his arms, raising his eyebrow. I was dead. So so so so dead.

"What are you doing here?" He said in an accusing tone. I flinched.

"Uh...what are you doing here?" I said, trying to be equally accusing, though I could hear my own fear in my voice. He stared at me for what felt like an eternity. Then he did something that I didn't expect him to do. He laughed.

Not just a pity chuckle either, but he laughed as if he were being tickled. It was almost scary on him, considering he hardly ever smiled. He wiped his eyes, and I could make out where the tears were starting to form.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, shaking his head with a smile.

"I guess we're both caught. How about a drink on me?" My mouth slacked open, but I was too stunned to protest. I silently followed my teacher, through the club, so he could buy me a drink.

Could things get any weirder?

...

We found to empty bar stools and decided to sit there before anyone else did. I had yet to see any of my friends, which I was thankful for. I don't think I would be able to handle this type of humiliation.

"And what could I get for you two?" The Bartender asked, making his way towards us.

"Water." I said.

"And for you?" He said, eyeing Mr. Grayson. He gave the man a look, causing the man to chuckle.

"Right. The usual." He then left us alone to prepare our drinks. I felt a small smirk crawl up the corner of my mouth.

"Come here often?" I teased. He grunted, rolling his eyes. The bartender, came back with our drinks. I eyed Mr. Graysons drink as he took his. It was an odd, pinkish reddish color with bubbles sizzling to the top.

I expected the the bartender to leave to go tend to his next customers or something, but he stayed staring between me and my teacher. I felt myself grow cautious under his gaze. Mr. Grayson seemed to notice also because he shot the man a glare.

"Is there something you want?" He asked, a bit annoyed. The man flushed, but held his ground.

"You found yourself a pretty one, didn't you Richard?" He said, wiggling his eyebrows at said man. Nothing could compare to how embarrassed I felt right now, and I didn't know how I felt by the fact that he called me pretty.

"Leave." Mr. Grayson snapped. The bartender chuckled, throwing his hands in the air. Before he left, I saw him wink at me. I shuddered. "Sorry about that, Garfield." I heard him say beside me, but I didn't turn to meet him, I just nodded. Instead I began stirring my untouched water.

Neither of us spoke for a couple minutes, but I could still feel his gaze on me. In fact, I knew he was staring strait at me. I felt sick all over again. I heard him clear his throat.

"You..." He began. "You clean up well." He said. I shot my head towards him, shocked. Had I heard him correctly.

"Huh?" I said, still not quite believing what he said.

"I only see you in baggy hoodies and sweatshirts. You clean up nicely." He said slowly. I blushed furiously. He was complimenting me?

It was the first time I really looked at him. He wasn't wearing his glasses, and I had to admit he looked even better without them. Now I could clearly see his dark blue eyes without the frames in the way. And his hair wasn't laid against his face like it normally was either. Instead, it was gelled back, spiking up at the end. I liked this hairstyle also.

His outfit wasn't overdone either, but it still looked nice. He wore a white leather jacket, and beneath it I could make out the tight black shirt he was wearing. He was wearing black jeans also with some leather shoes.

Dare I say...he looked hot.

"Uh...thanks. You're not half bad either." I mumbled. He hummed. Sipping on his drink. He then looked back at me.

"so why are you here exactly?" He asked. He didn't sound angry or anything, just curious. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

"We-I...I'm celebrating with friends. We're going to buy a home together." His eyebrows raised slightly, and I could tell he was impressed.

"I see." He drawled out. I watched as he carried the liquid back to his lips, taking another sip. I uncoucously licked my own.

"So...uh...what about you? Why are you here?" I questioned. I saw his eyes flicker for a moment before a small smile graced his features.

"I'm always here on Saturdays." He answered as if it were obvious. I nodded, directing my attention to my untouched drink. I didn't want to waste it, he had bought it for me after all. So I tentatively took a sip of the water. It was cool and refreshing.

I caught Mr. Grayson watching me from the corner of my eye, and I almost spit out my drink. I coughed a bit, setting my drink back down.

"What is it?" I said, turning to meet him. He seemed surprised that I had caught him staring, because he quickly turned in his stool. I eyes him wearily, but shrugged it off.

"You amuse me Garfield." He chuckled. I cocked my head to the side.

"How?" I was honestly curious.

"I hardly know you and yet..." He trailed off. I knew what he meant. It felt like we've known each other our entire lives. I don't know how or why we connect so well. It was weird.

"Yeah, I know." I finished. He turned his head slightly to look at me, his expression unreadable. I eyed his drink again. "What is that, anyways?" I said, motioning towards the bubbling liquid. He seemed confused at first, but he soon realized what I was talking about.

"would you like to try some?" He asked, picking up the drink.

"Oh no! I was just curious-" I quickly answer, but he already stood up from the barstool and now stood directly in front of me.

"Its fine, Garfield." He eased, lifting the cup up so that it was mere inches from my face.

"I'm under aged." I say quietly as a last attempt to argue back.

"It's hardly alcoholic. Less than wine. It won't hurt you." He said. I didn't say anything, and I guess he took that as a victory. He then brough the drink to my lips, and I allowed myself to take a little sip of the drink.

It was sour at first, and I could taste whatever fruit was in it. Maybe watermelon, possibly strawberry. The sour soon faded and I was left with an almost bitter taste as it glided down my throat. It burned just a tiny bit, but he was right nontheless. It wasn't very alcoholic. And strangely enough, I liked it.

He brought the glass back when he saw that I drank it, and waited patiently for my reaction. I licked my lips slowly, trying to savor the last bit of the flavor. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Not bad." I missed. Mr. Grayson seemed to like that answer.

"Well then, maybe I could buy you your-" before he could finsh the sentence, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I gave him an apologetic look before taking out my phone. Victor had texted me.

'Yo Gar, we're all about to leave. Kori got sick and Raven and I are pretty tired. Meet us up front, ok?'

I sighed, shoving my phone back into my pocket.

"Sorry Mr. Grayson. I have to go." I said, standing. He looked a bit crest fallen that I had to leave, though he masked it well.

"Ah well, more for me I suppose." He shrugged. "And do call me Richard when we are not at school. I believe we passed the point of formiality." I nodded.

"uh...this is just between you and me right?" I asked.

"Of course." He said as if it were obvious. "See you Monday Garfield."

"See you Monday," I said, turning on my heel. "Richard."

...

Ok so my phone is being stupid so I can't add the italics or boarders like I was to, so sorry you had to put up with this!

I have to admit guys, I'm kind of sad. I haven't even gotten one review yet for my last chapter. I honestly feed on reviews or else I'm not motivated. I know I'm asking for a lot but I could really need so criticism. Or at least telling me I'm doing a good job.

But anyways, thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8: A new beginning

It wasn't easy coming out and telling my family that I would be leaving soon. Of course, they had years to prepare. I guess that wasn't enough.

"Oh, I can't believe you're leaving!" Rita cried. I rolled my eyes, placing some old toys of mine in a box. "It feels like only yesterday we found you behind the dumpster-"

"Rita!" I groaned. I honestly didn't feel like hearing the story of finding 'tiny helpless Gar behind a dumpster' story again.

"Look at you, you're becoming a man!" Cliff gloated. I rolled my eyes, sticking my tongue out at the robot.

"Yeah, and you're going to totally forget about us." Larry drawled. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not; then again, I never could.

"I'm not going to forget about you guys. You're my family." I said, standing up and wiping my hands on my pants. "Besides, I'm not going to be far away. It's just on the other side of the city." I looked at my family and frowned. "Rita, don't cry."

She shook her head, wiping her tears with a small smile on her face. Steve placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort before turning to look at me. I felt myself stiffen under his gaze. Who knew what he had to say to this?

"Your-" He began, coughing slightly. He straitened up, looking directly into my eyes. "Your going to be a great superhero, son." He said, giving me a salute. I stood there stunned for a moment before a grin spread across my face.

"I'm going to miss you too." I said, running up to him and embracing him in a hug. I could tell he was shocked by the gesture, but a few moments later I felt his arms wrap around me.

I heard Rita sniff, and I nodded my head for her to join. She smiled weakly, joining the group hug. I heard Larry sigh from the other side, and I felt his presence join the hug.

"Hey, don't leave the big man out!" I heard cliff cry. He managed to wrap his arms around all four of us, lifting us off the ground. I laughed over the groans of protest from the rest. I really will miss them.

...

"Are you sure you're going to be ok on your own?" I rolled my eyes at her question. I closed the trunk to Victor's car, and I heard him chuckle beside me.

"I'm not a little kid anymore. I can take care of myself." I said. I looked over to my family, who were all standing on the porch, waiting for my departure. Rita look about ready to cry, Steve and Larry had unreadable expressions, and Cliff tried to put up a happy smile.

"Besides, I won't be alone. I have Vic and Kori and-"

"Oh, I know that Garfield." Rita sighed. I grinned, opening the passenger door. Victor had already gotten in the drivers seat.

"Come visit us sometime, ok?" Steve asked. I nodded, stepping inside the car.

"I'll call as soon as we get there!" I yelled before closing the door. I looked out the window and saw all of them waving sadly. The car started, and Victor honked the horn before driving off. I watched as there silhouettes were nothing but black dots in the distance before slumping against the seat.

"How you holding up?" I heard Victor ask. I groaned.

"Dude, that was emotionally exhausting." Victor chuckled at my response. A week has passed since I began packing my things. We had bought the house the day after we found out we had enough money. We actually did. Now all we have to do is graduate.

"I'm glad I didn't have to go through any of that." Victor sighed. I shook my head, grinning. Victor had been living on his own for as long as I've known him. His house wasn't very big, but it was his own.

"Just think. Soon it's just going to be me, you, and the girls." I said, looking out the window. "Where are they anyway?"

"They're meeting us there." He stated. My grin got wider. This was everything I had hoped for.

...

"Kori get down you're going to break something!"

"You all are giving me a headache!"

"Friends this is most exciting!"

"H-hey! Put me down, you know I don't like heights!"

"Could you two shut up!"

"wheee!"

Ok...so maybe not everything I had hoped for.

I sighed, shaking my head. I stood up and walked outside to the balcony. The view of the city was perfect. I knew that if there were any crimes we'd be the first to know. Of course, we wouldn't be able to do anything if we didn't graduate.

School had finally started to pick up, and the homework was becoming overwhelming. Who knew senior year would cause so much pressure? On top of all my homework, I had to worry about Mr. Grayson.

We hadn't talked at all about meeting at the club a week ago, and when I stayed after school with him he barely talked to me. It was like we were starting from square one again! I wanted to know if I had done something wrong; even though I had no clue what that could be.

His work had became even harder. At this moment I had a five page essay due by Friday that I may or may not put off until the last minute. He had began a new lesson about strategy. He emphasized the importance of having a good plan before jumping into action. He didn't have to tell me twice.

Countless of times while fighting with the Doom Patrol I had tried to do things on my own; most of the time without even thinking. I would end up getting caught or something, and the rest of the team would have to save me. Hey, I was young and stupid. I know not to do that now.

I heard the door slide open and close, but I didn't turn around to see who it was. I could already tell by the heavy footsteps it was Victor. He mumbled something under his breath, leaning against the railing beside me. I chuckled.

"Had fun flying, tin man?" I joked. He groaned, belching a little.

"Don't remind me. What are you doing out here anyway?" He asked.

"I'm just thinking." I say quietly.

"About Mr. Grayson?" My head shot to his direction and he laughed. "I take that as a yes."

"There's something about him Vic." I sighed. It would be fruitless trying to lie to him, he could always tell when I was.

"Yeah, the guys a real nut case." The tone in his voice told me there was another meaning to what he said. I raised my eyebrow.

"Is there something you know that I don't?" I questioned. He shrugged in response.

"I still hold my ground. I think you have a thing for him." I shook my head.

"Don't be silly, Vic." I said, nudging his shoulder.

"I'm serious! I've never seen you spend so much time with somebody so fast. I'm starting to get a little jealous." I laughed, pinching his cheek.

"Aw, somebody's jealous of the mean old teacher." I mocked in the way that was reserved for babies. He slapped my hand away, growling.

"Knock it off." He sighed, trying to regain composure."I think you should talk to him. Like, talk to him talk to him. You never know, he might feel the same way." Before I could argue, he walked out of the balcony, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

...

"Remember class, we have a test tomorrow about everything we've learned so far. I expect all of you to pass." As if on cue, the dismissal bell ran and the students quickly huddled out of the room.

I lingered at my desk for just a moment before hesitantly making my way to Mr. Grayson's. He smiled warmly at me, pushing up his glasses.

"I'm glad to see you, Garfield." He said, rather enthusiastically. I cocked my head to the side.

"You see me everyday." I pointed out.

"I need to ask a favor of you." He said, ignoring my statement. I gave him an odd look.

"A favor?" I repeated.

"Could you run out to my car and grab my satchel? It's in the passenger seat." He asked, holding out his car keys. I slowly took it, though I was still confused.

"Uh-"

"My car is in the teacher parking lot. First car on your left, can't miss it." I slowly nodded, looking at the keys in my hand.

The walk to the teacher parking lot didn't take long. It was in the front of the school. Once I was outside I looked around the parking lot for his car, but I was confused. The only car on the left side was a really nice black car that looked like somebody rich and famous would own, not a high school teacher.

Wait.

I pressed the lock button on the key, and sure enough that car honked. No way did Mr. Grayson own this car. It was too nice. Nicer than Victor's car!

I quickly made my way to the vehicle. The medal was a sleek black, and I could tell it got washed frequently. There wasn't a spec on it. The windows were tinted black, adding to the ominous exterior, and the wheels had a red rum around the inside.

Hesitantly, I opened the car door to the passenger seat. Get this, it didn't open like regular car doors. No, the door went up to the sky's. Way cool. I peered inside of the car.

The seats were all black leather, as well as the steering wheel. The front had just as much, maybe more, buttons as Victors. In the middle was a monitor, which I was sure allowed you to see what was going on in your surroundings. Around the knobs and handles of the car were streaks of red. I couldn't believe a teacher could own a car like this!

I shook my head. I was forgetting the reason why I was here. I quickly spotted Mr. Grayson's satchel; on the passenger seat just as he said. I grabbed it and scurried out the car. I knew knowing me, I would break something if I stayed here too long.

I pressed the the lock button, and watched almost mesmerized as the door automatically came down by itself. So cool. I mail pressed the lock button one last time, just to make sure, before quickly my way back into the building.

"Ah, thank you Garfield." Mr. Grayson said as I walked into the classroom. I gave him a small smile before handing him his satchel. I watched him did in it, letting out a curse as it seemed he couldn't find what he was looking for. Finally, I saw his face light up when he found what he was looking for.

He held out a small sheet of paper to me. I raised my eyebrow, taking it. And when I say my heart jumped out of my chest, I meant it. The paper, was in fact, a check. I have never seen so many zeros on a check before.

"W-what is this?" I asked, my hands beginning to shake. I saw him visibly twitch, and a frown fell on his face.

"I do believe it is called a check." He said. If I weren't so in shock right now I would've face palmed.

"why are you giving this to me?" I rephrased.

"Take it as a token of my gratitude. You've been helping me for three weeks strait, it's the least I could do." He said nonchalantly.

"I-I've only been grading papers!" I argued.

"You have done so much more for me than grade papers, Garfield." He said, shaking his head.

"I can't accept this." I said, shoving the check back towards him. His eyebrows raised in slight shock. "I haven't done anything to deserve this."

"Fine," he said. I assumed he was going to take it or something but he didn't. "If not for you, then you and you're friends. You all just brought a home together, correct? This will help keep you all out of dept."

Was he crazy? He was practically giving us enough money to buy our own private island! What would I, a seventeen year old boy, need with this type of money.

"Half a million?" I say weakly. He shrugged.

"Doesn't put a dent in my wallet." Just how rich was this dude? I watched as Mr. Grayson took my hand in his own and fold it around the check. "Take it. It's yours."

"I-I don't know what to say."

"Say..." He began, a smile tugging on his lips. "Say you'll have dinner with me."

...

Ah! You guys don't know how happy you've made me. I don't think I've had so many reviews in less than 24 hours on any of my stories. If I could I would just hug all of you. And don't worry, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

I was originally going to post this next week, but I think you all deserve this so, here you go!

Also, I'm thinking about moving this up in rating. Nothing severe is going to happen anytime soon, but for future reference what would you guys think? ;)

Again, you guys made my day. Please review!


	9. Chapter 9: It's not a date

Was I sweating? I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life.

I was pathetic. I was worrying over nothing. It was just dinner. A dinner with a totally hot teacher; but a dinner nonetheless. There wasn't anything to be afraid of. He just wanted to get to know me better outside of school. Nothing more, nothing less.

So why did it feel like my lungs were about to explode?

"Aw. Gar has a date." I shot my head toward the sound of the voice. Victor stood at my doorway, his arms crossed with an all too knowing smile.

"It's not a date." I snapped. I turned back to the mirror and ran the comb through my hair again. Nothing I did made it look right.

"You're dressed like it's one." Victor smirked. I groaned, examining myself in the mirror. I had put on a jean jacket over a purple V neck. My jeans were black with only small slits at the knees. To top it all off I put on a pair of black combat boots.

"D-do I look ok?" I asked. I heard Victor's footsteps grow closer until I could feel his presence behind me. He looked through the mirror at me, a finger tapping on his chin. He snapped his fingers, as if suddenly coming up with an idea. He then ruffled my hair, causing me to scream out In anguish. "Vic, what gives! I've been working on this all day!" I cried.

"I like it better when it's messy." I growled, but there was no use trying to fix it now. Mr. Grayson would be here any minute now.

"I hate you." I growled. Victor simply laughed.

"You still haven't told me who this mystery date is." Victor said. I rolled my eyes. I don't think I would be able to live with the humiliation that it was Mr. Grayson. He would tease me to no end.

"It's not a date." I repeated stubbornly.

"Don't make me start guessing." He mused.

"Oh God, please don't." I groaned.

"Kitten?"

"ew."

"Garth?"

"Please."

"Raven?"

"Tried that remember?"

"Alright..." He said, tapping his chin. "Then how about Mr. Grayson?" I felt myself grow cold. How did I know it would lead to this? I opened my mouth to say something, but a honk from outside stopped me. I sighed with relief.

"That's my ride." I grinned. I bolted for the door before Victor could question me any further. I peered outside the door before walking outside. Mr. Grayson's car was parked outside the driveway. I quickly scurried to his car, and was somewhat thankful he didn't come out.

The door to the passenger side opened up, and I hesitantly got in. Mr. Grayson's hands were still on the steering wheel, but once I was in he flashed me a smile. I swear it felt like my heart stopped.

He wasn't wearing his glasses again, exposing his deep blue eyes. His hair was also spiked back again, and I had to admit I liked this style on him better. I couldn't exactly tell what bottoms he was wearing, but the top was a plain black t shirt.

I watched as the doors silently closed.

"Good afternoon, Garfield." He said smoothly, turning the engine on.

"Hi." I mumbled back, a bit too timid for what I would've liked. I saw Mr. Grayson smirk, before hitting the gas pedal, speeding off to the distance.

...

"Have you told your friends about the money." Mr. Grayson said suddenly. I felt myself get hot, and I coughed slightly.

"I...uh...I haven't told them yet." I admitted. I still had the check hidden away in my wallet. I planned on giving the money back to him later. There really was no need for all that money.

"Shame. I would've like to have known their reaction." He said with a shrug.

"Uh...where are we going?" I asked. Mr. Grayson turned to me slightly, a small smirk on his lips.

"I've prepared dinner myself." He said, rather proudly. My jaw tighten. He prepared dinner, which meant the dinner was at his house. Which meant I would be eating dinner at his house. Which meant I would be in his house. I suddenly felt sick at the thought.

The car slowed to a stop, and I peered out of the window. We were in a looped driveway, and right in front of me was a rather large water fountain. Mr. Grayson stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. A few moment later he walked over to my side and opened my door.

"Are you coming, Garfield?" He asked, holding out his hand. I blushed, unbuckling my seatbelt. I offered my hand to him, and he helped me out of the car. "This is my home." He said, ushering pass the fountain.

When I say my jaw dropped to the ground, I mean it. I thought the house we just bought was big, but his just made ours look tiny by comparison. This couldn't even be considered a house. It was a mansion.

The lawn was huge and neatly trimmed with hedges along its borders. A large chandelier was hanging above the center of the front. The building itself looked to be about three stories high, but I could be wrong.

Maybe I had my career choice all wrong. Maybe being a teacher was the way to go.

"Wow." I breathed. I heard him chuckle beside me. "You live here?" I said incredulously, pointing towards the mansion. He simply nodded.

"Come, let me show you around." He said, nodding towards the entrance. I could only follow with a dumbfounded expression on my face.

Once inside I thought I would've peed my pants. The foyer was a dazzling white with a crystal chandelier hanging in the center. A set of spiral stair were at either corner of the space, and I could see the balcony of the second floor.

"The dining room is this way, Garfield." I heard Mr. Grayson say, bringing me out of my stupor. I quickly nodded, following him down the hallway. It wasn't long until an open space appeared, which I automatically assumed was the common room.

A large, semi-circular couch satin front of a huge flat screen tv. The room was painted a deep red, with paintings on every wall. There were multiple coffee tables of different sizes, each with a glass top.

I didn't get to take in its full detail because Mr. Grayson had yet to stop walking. I don't think he even turned around to make sure I was still following him. He passed the common room and entered another hallway.

It immediately opened up to a room with a large dining table. It was neatly set with dinner plates and a candle set in the middle. Above it was another huge crystal chandelier. This must be the dining room.

"Have a seat." Mr. Grayson said kindly, pulling out a chair at the end of the table. I gave him a small smile, accepting the seat. He then pushed me in. "I'll be back with the food." He whispered in my ear.

I felt myself shiver, but still managed to smile. I watched as he left the room. Now I could panic.

Should I be here? I mean, he is my teacher. This could be considered illegal right? In pretty sure you couldn't have an outside relationship with your teacher. Plus, I didn't know anything about him. He could be some psycho killer or something, and I could be his next victim.

Actually, that was a good possibility. He had tried to kill a woman; whether for a lesson or not. It was just like I've seen in the movies. The rich gentleman sweeps the unknowing victim off their feet. He gets them to come to his big mansion, and with no way out, he kills them.

Yeah, this was bad. I shouldn't be here.

I pushed back my chair. Maybe I could sneak out without him noticing. I quickly stood up, making my way to where we entered. Just as I was about to turn the corner, Mr. Grayson appeared front of me.

"Going somewhere?" He asked, raising his eyebrow. I let out a small squeak, surprised at being caught.

"I...uh...was wondering if you needed help with anything." I lied. He seemed to believe it though, because he smiled.

"I'm fine," he said, lifting up his hands, showing the two plates covered with a silver platter. "You're my guess, so you don't have to worry about anything." He said smoothly.

"Alright," I said, nodding slightly. I turned and sat back at the table, thanking Mr. Grayson as he set my platter on the table. He lifted my plate and all color drained from my face. On it was a rather large piece of steak, with a side of mashed potatoes and salad.

"I hope you don't mind that it's well done." He said, taking his plate to the other side of the table. I groaned.

He sat down at the other end of the table, taking off his platter. He immediatly began cutting into the steak.

"How was your day?" He asked curtly, taking a bite of his steak.

"It was great." I said, not at all excited. I picked at the mashed potatoes, checking for any piece of meat that could've touched it. "How was yours?" He hummed, dabbing his mouth with a handkerchief.

"A bit boring I must say. Saturday's aren't nearly as fun as the weekdays." He said nonchalantly. I raised my eyebrow.

"Why is that?" I asked curiously.

"When I'm working I can interact with other people; anywhere else I'm by myself." He mused almost thoughtfully. "This is why I appreciate your help so much, Garfield. You keep me company."

I nodded, forcing myself to eat some of the mashed potatoes. I looked around.

"This place is amazing." I said. I saw Mr. Grayson's eyes flash, before he smiled.

"Do you like it? I designed it myself." He put another piece of steak in his mouth, looking around also. "Well, me and my father."

I silently nodded again, twiddling my fingers underneathe the table. How was I going to get out of here?

"You haven't touched your steak." Mr. Grayson suddenly pointed out. I blushed slightly, looking away.

"Oh yeah...I'm a vegetarian." I said with a nervous laugh. "I don't feel right eating meat knowing I can turn into that animal, y'know?"

"I'm sorry, Garfield. I should've realized." He sounded...hurt? It wasn't like I told him or anything. In fact I hadn't even told him about my powers so he couldn't have known. Still, he looked dejected.

"How could you have known? It's not like I've told you." I say in an attempt to comfort him. Still, he scolded himself for not knowing. I sighed, taking another bite of my mashed potatoes. "At least the potatoes are good."

"Oh, you like them?" He asked, seeming to perk up at my unconscious thought. I hadn't even realized I said it out loud until now. I nodded. Mr. Grayson chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, at least something at this dinner is going right."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Mr. Grayson seemed to be recollecting his thoughts, humming slightly. I on the other hand was trying to figure out the best way to leave. I was starting to get uncomfortable with the silence. I coughed.

"Um...Mr. Grayson-" I began.

"Uh, uh, uh," he tutted. "It's Richard, remember?"

"Richard," I corrected. "I don't mean to be rude but...why am I here exactly?" I asked. He smiled, cocking his head to the side. Please, don't say this is a date.

"I thought it was obvious," he mused, standing up. I felt myself stiffen. He walked over to a large dresser, and pulled out what I instantly recognized as wine. "Care for any?" He asked as if I had a choice.

Before I could say anything, he walked over to me, taking my glass, and filling it with the red liquid. We were so close that I could feel his body heat radiating onto me.

His cologne filled my nostril to the point the I had to hold in my cough. I couldn't stop my eyes from watching him pour into my glass, and then up his tones arms. Then they rested on his pale neck, and suddenly I wanted to know what it felt like between my teeth.

But no, I couldn't stop there. My eyes finally left his neck, and up his jaw until they centered on his lips. His beautifully pink tinted lips. He licked his lips, just a flick of the tongue, to soften them. Still, it made my insides churn and I found myself licking my own mouth. His lips were so close to mine that if I just tilted my head up a little more and leaned forward we would-

What was I thinking?

I quickly shot up from my chair, nearly knocking it over. Mr. Grayson jumped at my explosion, nearly dropping the wine bottle. I had to leave, this place was doing this to me.

"I-I have to go." I stuttered, stepping back. Mr. Grayson stood up, giving me a confused look.

"I don't understand. Is something wrong? Is it something I said-" He began, only for me to interrupt him.

"No! I-I just can't be here." I said, running my hands through my hair. "I'm sorry." Before he had time to ask me anymore questions, I bolted down the hallway. I could hear his voice calling after me, but I didn't care; I didn't look back.

I ran out the house and onto the driveway. Shifting into a hummingbird, I flew as fast as my wings could carry me. I didn't care if I was caught for using my powers without a reason; I had to put as much distance as I could between me and my teacher.

This was wrong on so many levels. I shouldn't have ever came. Why did I ever accept going there in the first place?

My head was pounding, yet only one thing ran through my head.

I can't see him again.

...

ugh, that was hard for me to write.

Good news. Since school is starting back up in a few weeks, I want to make sure I finish this story up before things gets to hectic. Which means that I will try to hopefully uploads every other day! Or at least two to three times a week.

Also, this story will be moving up in ratings pretty soon (thanks to everyone who gave me the ok). But none of that will happen until later chapter so we're safe for now. Also, thanks to everyone who commenting! It's really helping me get through this story knowing people read this and like it!

Thanks for reading, please review


	10. Chapter 10: Maybe this is a date

For the past week and a half I've been avoiding Mr. Grayson like the plague; which was kind of hard since I was forced to see him everyday.

I knew he had noticed, who wouldn't? I was being the total opposite of what I had been just a few weeks ago. Instead of being the last person to leave the classroom, I was the first. I no longer stayed after school to help grade papers. I even denied him volunteer help when he asked me during class.

I knew I was being shallow. He didn't exactly do anything wrong. It's my own fault in avoiding him. I couldn't be around him anymore, not when I was thinking thoughts that shouldn't be thought upon a teacher. I told myself that I would never sink so low as to like a teacher; but here I am melting at even the sound of his voice.

I couldn't be around him for the sake that something might slip. What if I accidentally told him I was developing feelings for him? That I wanted to taste his lips...and neck...and-

See what I mean?

Im sure others have noticed too. Victor always ask me if I'm staying after school; and I always have to come up with some cheesy cover-up. Roy has also been giving me a few looks from the other end of the classroom; like he knew something bad happen between me and Mr. Grayson.

I honestly do feel bad for the guy. I never thanked him for the dinner or apologized for abruptly leaving it. I sometimes caught him staring at me with a sad expression on his face. He tried to start conversations with me, but I always run away from embarrassment. I knew he wanted to talk to me again, maybe to find out why I was acting so weirdly.

I just didn't think he'd go this far to do it.

...

"Mr. Logan, please see me after class." Mr. Grayson said in the midst of his lesson. I felt the eyes of my peers pierce into me; silently asking me what did I do to get in trouble.

I gawked at him for a moment, trying to register what he had said. I hadn't done anything wrong. I've been punctual, done all my homework, and never caused him any trouble. So why did he want to see me?

"W-what?" I said in pure shock. Mr. Grayson's lips pressed into a thin line and his expression turned stern.

"Did I stutter, Mr. Logan? I need to have a word with you," he repeated. The class snickered, and I blushed. I wanted to argue back but I knew it would be fruitless. I sighed, bowing my head.

"Yes sir." I mumbled

"Good. Now the key to being a good superhero is..." And he continued teaching as if nothing happened.

...

The bell rang and everyone filed out of the room except for me. I felt my insides do flips as I watched everyone empty the room, leaving me alone with my teacher. I sighed, swinging my backpack over my shoulder and making my way towards Mr. Grayson.

I kept my head low as I reached his desk. I don't think I could look at him without fainting.

"Y-you wanted to see me, sir?" I say, mentally cursing at myself for stumbling over my words. I heard papers shuffle, but I didn't dare to look up.

"You know I don't like to be call sir." He snapped. I flinched, my ears flailing back.

"Sorry." I mumbled. I heard Mr. Grayson sigh.

"No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped at you. I just wanted to talk to you about," his voice suddenly hushed an I had to strain my ears to hear it. "The dinner."

"What about it?" I asked, playing dumb.

"We can't talk about it here. It's not safe," he whispered.

I shot my head towards him in shock. It's the first time I really looked at him. His hair wasn't as neatly kept as it usually was. Instead, strands of his hair popped out at every angle. The bags under his eyes were far more noticeable now, like he hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep in days. And his cheeks were slightly flushed from what I thought embarrassment.

"Safe?" I said incredulously. "Nothing we've been doing is safe!" Mr. Grayson hushed me, stopping me from ranting any further.

"I know, I know." He said, running a hand through his drizzled hair. "I just...I miss you. I miss talking to you. At least let me understand why you left before you completely shut me out." He said, almost begging.

I felt my heart skipped a few beats. He missed me? What have I done for him to miss me? I felt my cheeks flush and I turned away, crossing my arms.

"I don't know..." I say trailing away.

"Please," he said, reaching over the table and taking my hand. I turned to him, shocked by the gesture. "It's my birthday."

"Really?" I asked skeptically. He simply nodded, a smal desperate smile on his face. I pressed my lips, looking between our interlocked hands and him. I knew that if I went with him I would regret it. But how could I say no when it was his birthday. He had mentioned before that it was sometime in September, but he's never given me an exact date.

I sighed, knowing I was making the wrong decision.

"Alright," I groan. He clapped his hands together, forgetting completely about mine.

"Excellent! Meet me at my car in say...and hour?" He said, seeming to perk up at my agreement. I could only silently nod before leaving the classroom.

...

I stood outside just a few feet away from my teacher's car. My arms were folded, and I was shuffling uneasily. Over half an hour has passed since Mr. Grayson and I were supposed to meet and I was beginning to think he wouldn't show. That is until I spotted a familiar figure jogging towards me.

It was only a matter of seconds before Mr. Grayson stood in front of me, panting slightly. Some of his hair was matted to his forehead from the sweat, and he looked a bit flushed. If I weren't so mad about almost being stood up, I would've found his state rather attractive.

"You stayed." He breathed, a small smile on his face. I blushed, looking away.

"Yeah...if you took any longer I would've left though." I grumbled, to which Mr. Grayson chuckled.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. The meeting took longer than expected." I eyed him wearily, but nodded in understanding.

"So what exactly did you want to talk about?" I asked, ready to leave as soon as possible.

"Not here. There's too many cameras." Mr. Grayson laughed. "We wouldn't want anyone finding out about our little secret." He mused. The tone of his voice made me shiver.

"Please don't tell me it's another dinner." I groaned. Mr. Grayson chuckled again, shaking his head.

"No Garfield, I've learned my lesson. I was actually thinking you should choose the location. Anywhere you want."

"Dude, isn't it your birthday?" I said, raising my eyebrow. Mr. Grayson put on a playful smile, and it felt like my heart would melt.

"Yes...but spending time with you is the greatest gift I could receive." He then walked passed me, but not before flashing a wink, before opening the car door to the passenger side. I was sure I was as red as a tomato at that point. "Are you coming, Mr. Logan?" He asked with a side smirk.

I nodddd before making my way into the car.

...

We drove in silence for the first couple of minutes; besides my occasional say in direction. I couldn't say I was all that comfortable being around him again. My affection for him was only growing stronger the longer I was alone with him; and I couldn't have that.

"So," Mr. Grayson suddenly said, tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel. "Is there a reason you've been avoiding me?" He asked. I flushed. I knew the question was coming, but I wasn't at all prepared to answer it.

"I...uh...I don't know actually." I said in half honesty. He hummed, pushing his glasses up.

"There must be a reason." He prodded. "I was too forward, wasn't I? It must've came as a bit of a shock for your teacher to ask you out for dinner."

"No it wasn't that, I just...turn left here." Mr. Grayson did so, and coughed slightly.

"You don't have to lie to me, Garfield, I know I'm not really a people person. I just thought it would be the best way to get to know each other outside of school." He dead panned.

"So..." I say, blushing slightly. "It wasn't a date?"

"Is that what upset you?" He asked,looking at me for a second before placing his eyes back on the road. "I can assure you that I just wanted to know you better. Besides, if I ever were to ask you out I wouldn't lead you on to think something different."

"Oh." I chuckled nervously. "Th-that's good to hear I guess. Sorry for running away."

"It's understandable." We rode in silence for a few minutes, besides me giving direction here in there. I could tell Mr. Grayson was looking at me from the corner of his eyes from time to time, but I couldn't at all read his expression.

As I saw the building nearing, I began to jump excitedly. Mr. Grayson noticed, and pulled into the parking lot. I jumped out the car, flinging my arms in the air with a large grin.

"Ta-da!" I say excitedly. Mr. Grayson stepped out of the car and looked at the building and then to me with a less than amused expression on his face.

"Garfield, where are we?" He said, stepping away slightly so the doors could close. My arms dropped.

"It's an arcade, duh!" I said, crossing my arms. He gave me a confused expression. I rolled my eyes, marching my way over to him. Before he could protest, I grabbed his wrist and began dragging him to the entrance. "Come on, it'll be fun! Besides, it looks like you could use some." I say, tapping under my eye.

He scoffed, but I could see the blush beginning to form. I would have to remember to embarrass him more often, he was cute when he blushed. Ugh, I wasn't supposed to be thinking like that.

"This is the last time I let you choose our location." He mumbled. I giggled, opening the door.

As soon as the door opens, I inhale deeply. It was just how I remembered it. The smell of stale cheese sauce, burnt pizza, and fruity slushies were mixed with the smell of sweaty teens. I hadn't been here since last summer, but things haven't changed a bit. I looked over to Mr. Grayson, who had his nose scrunched up. I giggled.

"It takes some getting use to, but you'll have fun, I promise." I winked. I let go of his wrist and walked over to the counter(Mr. Grayson followed closely behind me). I rang the bell, and a heavily set man ran out of the went by the name Control Freak for whatever reason, but I called him Bill just to tick him off. He flashed me a greasy smile, folding his arms.

"I never thought I'd see you here again, Gar." He said with his nasally voice. "I thought you wouldn't return after your defeat on Sword in a Stone." I scoffed, crossing my arms.

"As if I would ever let some newb take my top spot! You should know that by now, Bill." I grinned. The man chuckled, shaking his head.

"How much do you want?" He asked. I placed a finger on my chin, tapping it slightly.

"Two hundred for me and my friend." I said, pulling out a twenty. Control Freak looked over at Mr. Grayson, seemingly just noticing he was beside me. He jumped back in shock. Mr. Grayson just stared at him emotionless, his hands arises behind his back.

Control Freak eyed him wearily while making his way towards me. He leaned in towards me, his voice now in a hushed tone.

"You brought a non-gamer to my facilities?" He growled. I rolled my eyes. I was sure Mr. Grayson could here him, he wasn't the best whisperer in the world.

"Hey! Who's the best gamer in this building?" I said crossing my arms. Control Freak sighed, pointing to me. "Right. And do you really think I would bring someone here that would ruin my reputation?" I asked. He shook his head. "Right. Now just take the money, give me my tokens, and we'lol be on our way."

Control Freak sighed but reluctantly gave me a biker with some token in it.

"Here you go." He said, sliding the bucket towards me. I grinned, walking in the direction of the many arcade games.

"What was that about?" Mr. Grayson asked from beside me. I grinned up at him, shrugging.

"Control Freak just likes to start drama. He did the same thing with Vic, but now he's an honorary member of the gamers circle." I said proudly. He nodded, but I could tell he didn't understand a word I just said.

"So, you're good at these games I suppose."

"The best!" I say triumphantly. "So what do you wanna play first; Mega Monkey's 3.0, Slash, Zombie run, The hollows-"

"I honestly could care less for video games." He droned. My mouth slacked open slightly, and I stared at him in shock. He looked at me with a nonchalant expression, as if that wasn't the craziest thing to ever come out of a persons mouth. "Growing up I never really had time for it." He explained.

"Then we gotta change that right now!" I say, placing my bucket on the nearest game. I put two tokens in the slot, making the game boot up. "Here, this one is easy." I say, pointing to the plastic guns.

The game was called Dead Man Walking. It was a two player game that required you to shoot monsters in the forest. It wasn't anything complicated, and I was sure Mr. Grayson would do too bad on it.

I sat on one of the stools, patting the one next to me. I heard Mr. Grayson mumble something under his breath, but he sat beside me regardlessly. He picked up his gun, looking at it pointedly. I laughed, leaning over a littler.

"You just press this button to shoot." I said, pressing the knob at the bottom. He nodded,and I sat back in my chair, grabbing my gun.

The game started, and suddenly we were both walking in the woods. You could only see our hands with our guns in them as we marched through the dark terrain. I glanced over at Mr. Grayson, who stared boredom at the screen. Sadly, at that moment a monster jumped out of the bush, and I barely had time to register. I quickly pointed my gun at the monster, and just as it was about to land on me, it was shot away.

"Dude!" I breathed, staring at Mr. Grayson. He simply shrugged, smirking a little.

"You should keep your eyes in the screen, Garfield." I let out a surprised eep, feeling myself grow hot. I turned back to the screen, trying to ward off my embarrassment.

As the game progressed, more and more monsters began to attack, and I had yet to hit a single one. Mr. Grayson somehow managed to hit every one of them without even giving me a chance. The game ended, and the final score was 342,739 to 0.

"How-" I began, staring shocked at the screen.

"I know you said it was easy, but I expected a bit more of a challenge." Me. Grayson yawned beside me. My head shot towards him.

"Best two out of three!" I said, determined to beat him. No way was I going to let someone who's never played a video game before in their life beat me this bad! I was just in shock.

"Whatever you like." He said. But the tone of his voice told me he was up for the challenge. Oh, it was on now.

...

Hours passed, and we played almost every game in the building. Surprisingly, Mr. Grayson won the majority of the games. I managed to win some, but not nearly by enough points to be considered safe. Currently we were on motorcycles, racing head to head. We were currently neck and back and the finish line was close. No way was I losing again.

"You're going down!" I chanted, swinging my bike to the left.

"I don't think so!" Mr. Grayson called, equally amused. The finish line was now in view, and I was slightly ahead. I bit my tongue in concentration, determined to win. Just as I was about to cross the finish line, something flashed ahead of me and I came up second place.

I heard Mr. Grayson cheer beside me, and I could on look at the screen in stunned silence.

"You-you cheated!" I cried. Mr. Grayson simply shrugged, hopping off the bike.

"You never said anything about using turbo." He said with a smirk.

"But-"

"And I do believe me you owe me dinner." I groaned, dusting myself off as I hopped off the bike.

"Fine. But not here." I said, crossing my arms. "The food here stinks." Mr. Grayson nodded, and together we excited the building. It was already dark, and I was surprised none of my friends were blowing up my phone by now.

"Wait!" I heard somebody call. I turned around to see Control Freak running towards us, and I had to stifle my laughter at how funny he looked. He continued chanting for us to stop until he was in front of us. Once he reached us he bent down, panting heavily. He held up his index finger, asking us to give him a minute. Mr. Grayson and I exchanged glances.

When it seemed like he regained composure, he stood up and shoved a paper in Mr. Grayson's direction. I immediately knew what it was, but Mr. Grayson seemed confused.

"I...hereby anounce..." He looked at Mr. Grayson pointedly, looking to be struggling.

"Richard-"

"Richard an official member of the gamers association." He said, bowing slightly. Mr. Grayson raised his eyebrow, looking between the man and the paper.

"I think I'll pass." Mr. Grayson bluntly stated, turning on his heel and opening his car door. I giggled at Control Freak's shocked and horrified expression.

"But...but..." He stuttered.

"Are you coming, Garfield?" Mr. Grayson yelled through the window. I grinned at the still blubbering goofball, saluting slightly.

"Catch you later, Bill." I said before getting in the passenger seat. We pulled out of the driveway, laughing as Bill still was standing there like an idiot as we drove away.

...

We were currently sitting on a park bench, silently eating our ice cream. I was thankful he didn't want any actual food, I was already running right on money spending that twenty at the arcade.

The moon and stars were shining bright above us, illuminating the ground below. I stole a glance at my teacher, who was currently looking up at the sky as well. I wasn't as sneaky as I thought I was though, because he turned towards me and flashed me a smile.

I blushed, ducking my head and looking away. How did simple things he did like a smile make me grow hot and make my stomach do backflips. I was sure he didn't even know what he was doing to me. I coughed.

"So um..." I began nervously. "You're really good at video games for someone who's never played." He shrugged, taking a spoonful of his vanilla ice cream. "How come you never played when you were younger?"

He slowly gulped, dabbing his mouth with his napkin.

"Well, when I was younger I traveled a lot so I really didn't have time for games. " he said nonchalantly.

"Why is that?" I didn't mean to pry at him, I was just curious. He raised his eyebrow, looking up.

"My parents and I were acrobats so we traveled a lot with the circus." He stated.

"That sounds fun. Do they live nearby?" I saw him tense, and I wondered what I said wrong.

"No...they died a long time ago. The rope snapped." He said, though I couldn't sense any tone in his voice. My ears dropped back slightly.

"Oh..." I say quietly. "I'm sorry." He didn't say anything after that, and we sat in silence for a few minutes. I slowly ate my ice cream, and I didn't dare look to see what he was doing. "My parents died too." I suddenly say after I summed up the courage.

I felt his gaze shift towards me.

"Ah yes, I remember you mentioning that in the first day of school. If you don't mind me asking, how?" His voice was quiet and unsure. I didn't mind talking about them, the whole school probably knew. Yet, I felt scared to tell Mr. Grayson for reasons unknown.

"Boating accident." I stated.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He apologized.

"Don't be...it happened a long time ago." When did we get so close? I shoulders were practically touching. I turned to see Mr. Grayson staring at me. My emerald eyes clashed with his blue ones, and I felt frozen at the spot.

I I saw from the corner of my eye his hand lift up. I could only watch as it caressed my face softly. His hands were underneath my chin, guiding it upward. I felt my breath hitch in my throat as I saw him lean closer to me. I knew what was coming, and I felt like my heart would explode.

I looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to just do it. He expected me for a second more, before leaning in closer. My eyes fluttered shut as I waited for our lips to meet. But it never came. Instead, his thumb grazed across my upper lip before backed away. I opened my eyes, confused. He had his thumb pointing towards me, green liquid on it, a smile across his face.

"You had a milk mustache." He mused. I gawked at him. Maybe I didn't know what was coming. A few minutes later, I followed him disappointingly to his car.

Was I stupid for actually thinking he was going to kiss me? He had already said he didn't like me in that way, sort of. I really was in over my head. Mr. Grayson chatted the whole ride back to my house, but I couldn't quite connect with his words.

My heart still was pounding out of my chest at the thought of kissing him. It had looked like he wanted to do it, but something stopped him. Maybe it was me. We pulled into my driveway, and I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Thanks." I mumbled, opening the car door. Mr. Grayson nodded, smiling.

"I expect that you will be helping me afterschool Monday?" He said. I nodded, putting one foot out the door. Then an idea struck me, a totally crazy one, but an idea. I was so sure that he was going to kiss me, and maybe he chickened out because he was sure I didn't feel the same way. There was only one way to know for sure.

I quickly turned around and leaned across the seat. I grabbed my confused teacher on either side of his face, bringing it closer to mine. I quickly placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth, just long enough so he would know that there was room for more.

I leaned back, smiling goofily at him.

"Happy birthday, Richard." I say before quickly making my way out the car, leaving Mr. Grayson baffling like an idiot.

...

**Ugh, I can't believe it's been like a week since I updated! I'm so sorry guys, leave it to me to say I want to upload every other day and never do it. I got really busy with family, and tried to write whenever I had the chance! **

**They kissed! Well, sort of, heh heh. It's only going uphill from here. **

**Dont forget to review, it helps a lot!**


	11. Chapter 11: Boredom

"Ms. Beecher?"

"Ninety."

"Mr. Harper?"

"eighty-six."

"Ms. Moth?"

I scrunched my nose at the paper, checking over the answers to see if I marked it correctly. There didn't seem to be any mistakes.

"Uh...one hundred." Mr. Grayson scoffed at my answer, typing on the computer with unnecessary force.

"She probably cheated," he growled. Once he was done with his papers he pushed back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I thought I made it clear that I do not like cheaters." He said, pouting a little. I felt like laughing at how ridiculous he looked but restrained. Instead I shrugged, handing him the graded stack of paper.

"Maybe she actually paid attention this time." I suggested, but even I knew that was a low blow. It was a known fact that Kitten wasn't the brightest crayon in the box; or at least that's what she lead on.

"Please. Earlier today I had to call her out for filing her nails during my lesson." Mr. Grayson said with a roll of his eye. I chuckled.

It had been three days since his birthday; since I kissed him, and we had yet to talk about it. I wanted to bring it up a couple of times today, but found myself too embarrassed to ask. Mr. Grayson would talk about playing more games with me someday, but he seemed to be dodging the subject also. Still, we were on good terms and I didn't feel so awkward staying after school with him. It was actually quite pleasant. I checked my watch.

Crap. It was already six. Victor would be here any minute now to pick me up. He had to do this since the distance from the school to the house was too much for my beaten down moped. Apparently, it didn't do too well with long distances. Vic said he would try to fix it, but he said it was as good as garbage now.

"I have to go, my ride will be here soon." I sighed, grabbing my backpack. I saw Mr. Grayson forensic for a second, but that was quickly replaced with a small smile.

"Very well. I appreciate your help today, Garfield." He said, pushing up his glasses. I nodded.

"See you tomorrow." I said, giving him a small way before turning on my heel. I was just about to leave the classroom when I heard him call my name. I turned around, cocking my head. "Yes?"

"Do you have your cell on you?" He asked, almost nervously. I raised my eyebrow but nodded. I dug into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone, showing it to him. He nodded his head for me to come back to his desk.

I gave him my phone, a curious expression on my face. I watched as he began typing something in a sporadic rhythm before handing it back to me.

"My number is saved under Richard." He said simply. I stared at the white screen for a moment, not quite registering what he said. "If you ever want to talk or hang out just give me a text or a call. Whatever you're comfortable with." He shrugged.

I wanted to say something in rebuttal, but all I could manage was a squeak of a thank you. I quickly left the room, phone still in hand. I stared at the contact name and number as I walked out to the front of the school. There were so many questions running through my head, yet one stood out against all the rest...

How the heck did he know my password?

...

"You've been awfully quiet, what's up?" I jumped at the sound of Vic's voice. He glanced at me from the drivers seat, and I immediately blushed.

"N-nothing." I stuttered.

"You're lying. Your ears turn red when you're lying or hiding something." He said with a knowing grin. I growled.

"No they don't!" I argued.

"Oh yeah, then what is this?" He then grabbed me by the tip of my ear, giving it a not so light tug. I yelped, batting his hand away.

"Dude, both hands on the wheel!" I yelled, to which Victor simply chuckled. He put his other hand back on the wheel and directed his attention back to the road.

"But seriously man, what's been bugging you? Finally made up with your boyfriend?" He said, wiggling his eyebrow. I blushed furiously, folding my arms.

"He's not my boyfriend!" I yell stubbornly.

"Whatever you say, Grass Stain. Just know you can't keep secrets from me." He cooed. I groaned as Victor pulled into the driveway. Kori was already outside, hovering slightly above the ground with her hands clasped together. Upon seeing us, she squealed. I stepped out of the car and was almost immediately enveloped in a tight hug.

"Friend Garfield, I have not seen you in a blipnord!" She cried, squeezing me tighter.

"Kor...saw you...this morning...can't breathe..." I gasped. Reluctantly she let go, and I struggled to catch my breath. I turned to Vic, who shrugged. It was normal for Kori to be happy all the time, but she was never this excited unless something happened.

"Why are you so happy?" Victor asked, making sure to keep his distance in case she decided to pounce on him. He never really was one for flying. She giggled as she dug in her pocket. She then pulled out a piece of paper, holding it up.

"Friend Raven and I are going to have a girls night!" She cheered. I raised my eyebrow, taking the paper from her hand. It was an advertisement for a spa in Steele City.

"Uh...does Rae know about this?" I asked, knowing the only way Raven would go to something like that is if she was dragged there. Victor snatched the paper out of my hand, and I shot him a half hearted glare. He examined the paper quickly before handing it back.

"It's the same day as my car show." Victor pointed out. Kori smiled innocently, chuckling slightly.

"Friend Raven said we could go, and I'm sorry for the inconvenience." She apologized.

"Wait..." I said, putting two and two together. "So I'm going to spend my whole Saturday alone!"

"Stop being so selfish; you've been running around with God knows who for weeks." I jumped at the sudden voice behind me. I turned and backed away as Raven stood behind me glaring.

"You know I hate it when you do the transport-y thing!" I whined. Raven rolled her eyes.

"Teleportation." She deadpanned. I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Hey, I'm sure you can find something to do while we're gone. Besides, it's only one day." Victor reasoned. I huffed but nodded in agreement. One Saturday alone couldn't be that bad...right?

...

One day my butt! I was bored out of my mind!

Over the course of two hours I managed to play every video game inside the house (but gave up because Vic set the record too high), made a tofu pizza from scratch, exercised in the weight room, and cleaned my room (which is amazing in itself). Even after doing all that it was only noon!

I sighed, falling back on my bed so that my head was almost touching the floor. I had considered paying the patrol a visit, but the only way I could get there, or anywhere, was by flying. And I was still not permitted by law to use my powers without permission. I hadn't made any plans with anyone. I mean, I lived with my three best friends! I shouldn't be suffering like this.

I groaned, sitting up again. Upon sitting up I spotted my phone on the corner of my bed. My eyebrows knitted together as an idea popped into my head. Mr. Grayson had given me his number on Monday, and I had yet to call or text him. I was still a bit dumbfounded that he put it there in the first place.

Still, he had said I could contact him if we ever needed to talk and well...I was desperate.

I snatched the phone off my covers, searching through my contacts for his name. After a few good scrolls down the page, I managed to find it. I hesitantly opened his inbox.

_12:06_

_Uh...Hey this is Gar_

My fingers shook as I typed the message. Was I really that desperate for someone to talk to? How did my text even look how nervous I was? What if he gave me the wrong number?

I stared at the text for a few more good seconds before looking away as I pressed the send button. Immediately, it felt as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I let out a sigh of relief, placing my cell on my bedside table. I found myself agonizing over his message return, and tapped my foot impatiently. Luckily I didn't have to wait long.

_12:08_

_Good afternoon, Garfield. Is everything alright?_

It felt as if my heart was doing backflips. I read the message over and over again. Even through text I could picture just how he would've said it, the slightest trace of worry on his face. I smiled.

_12:09_

_Yea just bored out of my mind_

This time I did not put my phone down as I waited for his text. I stared at the bright screen in intimidation.

_12:10_

_Oh, are your friends not with you? _

_12:11_

_No. Vic's a car show and the gurls are a spa_

_12:13_

_Grammar, Garfield._

_I rolled my eyes at the comment, smiling a little. _

_12:14_

_Dude its txt not skool! _

_12:15_

_That's hardly an excuse to misspell school. _

I laughed a little to myself, shaking my head before typing again. Before I could send my text however, Mr. Grayson sent another.

_12:15_

_So I take it you are home alone, yes?_

I erased my previous message, typing in a new one.

_12:16_

_Yea y? _

_12:18_

_Should I come over?_

My smile instantly dropped, and was left with a shocked expression. Had I read that correctly, or was I just imagining things? I sat there, jaw slacked, for what felt like hours re-reading the text.

_12:24_

_huh?_

_12:25_

_You're bored, correct? Why else would you text me? I can only type for so long until my fingers give out, you know?_

_12:26_

_I don't really think that's a good idea_

_12:30_

_Too late, I'm already in my car. I'll be there in 15 minutes._

I shut off my phone, seeing no point in sending another text back. This took a different turn than what was expected; still I couldn't bring myself to be angered at him practically inviting himself over.

Instead, I was washed over with an unknown fear. My...dare I say...crush was visiting me alone. Somewhere in the messed up part of my mind thought this was a good idea. I mean, this is every teens dream. But the more reasonable side of my brain knew better. He is my teacher and I have to remember that (even if said teacher seems to forget himself).

Seeing no point in arguing with myself, I hopped off my bed and made my way downstairs. I remembered I didn't exactly clean up the mess I made from earlier, and I was sure Mr. Grayson wouldn't really appreciate tofu stains all over the counter.

I quickly cleaned up the mess, and by the time I was done I knew he would be here any minute now. I tapped my chin, scanning the pantry. I wanted to at least have something made in case either of us got hungry.

I sighed, settling on a bag of chips and soda. I placed the snacks on the coffee table, making sure everything was nearly placed. Suddenly, there was a knock at my door, nearly causing me to knock everything off the table.

I sighed again, running my hand through my hair. I walked to the door, peering through the window. Mr. Grayson stood on the porch and seemed to be examining one of the plants we had displayed.

I opened the door, and Mr. Grayson immediately stopped what he was doing to look at me. I felt my face heat up at the fact that his attention was on me.

"Uh...hi." I breathed.

"Hello, Garfield..."He said slowly. I saw him look me up and down before stifling a laugh. "I never took you one for ponies." He said with a smirk.

I cocked my head to the side, confused. I looked down and almost screamed from embarrassment. Had I really forgotten to change out of my pajamas? And it didn't help with the fact that the pants had stencils of unicorns on them. I blushed madly.

"Kori bought them for me!" I said in a feeble attemt to defend myself. I opened the door wider, stepping to the side so that I could let him in. "You can come in if you want. I'm going to go change real fast." I mumbled the last part.

He nodded stepping inside. I directed him into the common room, and quickly made a dash upstairs. I made my way to my room, throwing on a pair of jeans and a graphic tee with some band on it before quickly running back downstairs.

I peeked over the wall, hoping Mr. Grayson hadn't heard me. He currently had a picture frame in his hands, an almost content smile on his face. I instantly recognized the photo as the one that I forced Vic, Kori, and Raven to take freshman year. It was the first group picture we ever took, and it was one of my favorite.

I coughed, walking into the common room. Mr. Grayson looked up, almost shocked to see me come in.

"These are your friends I hear so much about?" He asked, setting the picture frame exactly where he found it. I nodded, taking a few steps closer to him.

"Yeah, they're great." I said, looking at the photo myself. I had been the only person in the photo smiling; given I took it while everyone was off guard. Raven was glaring at me, Victor's expression was shocked, and Kori was confused.

"And you all bought this house together? I'm impressed," he mused.

"Yeah, been saving up since freshman year."

"I'm glad you all don't have to worry about money anymore then," he said. I raised my eyebrow, confused for a moment. Then I remembered the check. In all honesty I forgot all about it; it was probably still hidden away in my wallet. I hadn't even mentioned it to my friends yet.

"Are you hungry?" I could tell Mr. Grayson was confused by my change of subject, but I doubt he would question it. "I made a mean tofu pizza earlier and there's still slices left. I just have to put it in the oven."

"Sounds delicious." He said, with a small smile. I nodded, turning on my heel.

"There's chips on the table!" I called over my shoulder as I quickly made my way over to the kitchen. Grabbing the left over pizza, I placed it in the oven. After turning on the temperature and putting on the timer, I made my way back to the common room. Mr. Grayson was sitting on the couch, looking around the room. I smiled.

"Hey, want to look around? I could give you a tour." I said. Mr. Grayson turned around, nodding. He stood up, and walk towards me.

"Lead the way." I nodded. We walked through the downstairs portion of the house first, and the whole time I was showing him the different rooms he complimented it in some sort of way.

"This is the weight room...and over there is the basement. Vic's usually in there making some tech thing. And that pretty much is all for down here." I say, smiling. Mr. Grayson nodded approvingly. I lead him to the stairs, which curled around and had a pole through the middle. Vic thought it would be a good idea once we start crime fighting.

"This is Kori's room." I say, opening the door just enough for him to see inside. Her room was decorated in pink and purple, with stuffed animals everywhere. Honestly, it hurt my eyes just to look at it. "And this is Victors room." I said, as we made our way down the hallway. I opened his room in the same fashion I did Kori. His room didn't have much in it, and it was pretty much just a place for him to recharge.

"And this is Ravens room. But I'm not able to show you inside; last time I broke in I was attacked." I said. Mr. Grayson seemed taken aback, but chuckled slightly nonetheless. We passed Raven's room and trekked a little bit further down the hallway.

"And this is my room. You can come in if you'd like." I say, opening my door and stepping inside. Mr. Grayon closed the door behind us, and suddenly I felt giddy. Of course, I tried to seal it the best I could. "Um...sorry for the mess."

"It's not a problem." He said, looking around. I watched as he spotted a photo on my dresser, picking it up to examine it. Gee, he must really like pictures. "Who are they?" He asked, showing me the photo. It was a picture of a man, a woman, and a child. The two adults were swinging the child by his arms while the child laughed happily.

"Those are my parents." I say. I usually didn't have a problem talking about them, but for some reason I felt nervous discussing it with him.

"Oh. And is this your brother?" He asked. I laughed, shaking my head. I walked beside him, pointing to the boy.

"No that's me." I chuckled. Mr. Grayson gave me a confused expression, looking towards the picture and me. "It's a long story."

"Do tell," he said with honest curiousity. Then he furrowed his brows, as if having another thought. "If you don't mind that is." He added.

"Well I was normal at one point of my life until I was bitten by a green monkey. I almost died but my parents saved me. But as a side affect it gave me my powers and appearance." I say. "Huh, I guess it wasn't that long of a story." I say grinning.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said, placing the photo down.

"Don't be. I'm kind of glad it happened." I say honestly.

"I'm glad. Green suits you." I found myself blushing at the compliment, looking away. I heard Mr. Grayson inhale sharply, and I turned back around to see what had happened. I followed his gaze to the wall.

"Oh, I almost forgot that was there." I said, chuckling nervously.

"You...you must really like Robin." He said, a bit stunned. On my wall was a huge cut out poster of Robin, and on the desk beneathe it were figurines and comics of the boy wonder. It was my own private shrine and I couldn't ever imagine getting rid of it.

"Sorry if it's a bit creepy," I say, rubbing my neck. "It's just...Robin is my idol, you know? Has been since I was a kid. He's helped me through a lot of hard times." I say, moving toward the area. I picked up one of the figurines, staring at it in thought.

"My dad gave me this the first time I heard about him. Since then I wanted to be just like him. I mean...he got to fight crime along with the most infamous superhero, save lives, and everything. I wanted to be just like that when I grew up."

"After my parents died I was homeless for awhile...didn't have anywhere to go 'cause no one wanted me. The only thing keeping me sane was Robin. I would catch him on tv sometimes, see magazines, and newspapers of everything he did and I thought 'if Robin could do it, I can do it too'." I placed the figurine down, but had yet to take my eyes off of it.

"That's why I refuse to believe he just quit. I know he's out there somewhere...doing something good. If he wasn't then..." I shook my head. "Sorry if I sound silly." I looked up to see my teachers reaction. He had an almost unreadable expression on his face. He seemed to have grown stiff, and his face had flushed slightly.

"Garfield...can I tell you something," he said quietly. "Something...that I haven't told anyone before?" The seriousness of his voice startled me. I slowly nodded, waiting for him to continue. He took in a shaky breath, closing his eyes. "I'm-"

Just as he was about to say whatever he was going to say, a loud buzz rang through the house. We both jumped.

"Oh no, I forgot about the pizza!" I said, just now smelling the scent of burning crust. "I'll be right back!" I quickly ran out the room and down the stairs, to the kitchen. The whole area was filled with smoke.

I quickly put on some oven mitts, taking the pizza pan out of the machine. I groaned. So much for leftovers. I threw the burnt pizza in the trash, and opened a few Windows so the smoke could escape.

I ran my hand through my hair, now being able to think. My heart was still pounding over the conversation I just abruptly left. I had never seen Mr. Grayson look like that. So unsure and doubtful, yet fearful at the same time. He was usually cool and collected, and hardly ever let his emotions show. Just what did he want to tell me?

Finding no use in wondering, I made my way back upstairs, but not nearly as fast as it was my way down. I walked back in the room, prepared for whatever Mr. Grayson had to throw at me; but instead I was met with emptiness.

I walked into my room, and noticed my window was open. I quickly ran to it, looking out the window. If he had made an escape this way he was long gone by now. I furrowed my brows, stepping back inside the room.

He wouldn't just leave like that without a reason, would he? And how would he be able to escape out of a two story window without being unscathed? It wasn't like there was anything to cushion his fall.

As if my prayers had been answered, I spotted a single sheet of paper of my bedside table. I quickly grabbed it; noting that it was indeed my teachers handwriting; though a little rushed. It read:

_I'm sorry I had to leave you on such short notice. I heard a vehicle pull in and assumed it was one of your friends. Wouldn't want them finding me here, now would you? I hope we can talk again soon,_

_Richard_

As if on cue, my do swing open. I jump back in surprise, hiding the note behind my back.

"Man, I'm not even gone for a full day and you already almost burned the house down!" Victor yelled.

"I thought you had a car show." I said in shock. He rolled his one good eye, crossing my arms.

"Got cancelled. What have you been up to?" He asked, stepping fully into my room. "Didn't have anyone you weren't supposed to, right?"

"Of course not!" I said, and blushed at how quickly I did.

"Chill man, I was only teasing. Since I'm home, I was thinking we could go do something together." He suggested.

"Sure dude, just let me give me a minute." I said, putting on a false grin. He eyed me for a second, but shrugged.

"Alright, but in five minutes I'm leaving your green butt," he made it seem as if he were about to walk out but stopped. "You sure you didn't have someone over?"

"I already said no." I frowned. He grinned.

"Whatever you say, but your ears are giving you away." He teased, before walking out. I pouted, resisting the urge to argue back. I quickly ran to my door, closing and locking it behind me.

As soon as I did this, I allowed myself to slide to the ground. I rested my head on the door, clutching the letter to my chest.

Just what was the big secret?

...

**This chapter took a slightly different turn but I guess I'll save my initial idea for the next chapter. I feel like this chapter was a bit rushed, but I wanted to get it out there. School starts in literally a week, and I'm dreading it! **

**Be sure to leave a review, and thanks to those who have been leaving them! You guys make my day, you don't even know :)**


	12. Chapter 12: Caught

The week went by, and as usual, I spent everyday of it with Mr. Grayson. We had far outgrown our awkward stage, and chatted like old buddies. Of course, I didn't see him as such. I still ogled at him every second I could.

I couldn't exactly tell if he felt the same way though. He liked sending mixed signals. One minute, he's giving me all his attention, laughing at my cornet jokes, and occasionally touching me in one way or another. The next he's droning about school work or one of his old friends. It was difficult to know what he was thinking.

We texted each other on a regular basis now. It's usually took place at the dead of night when my friends were all asleep, and he had returned home from work. We talked about random things; varying from video games to what we liked in a person (though I tried to dodge that subject as much as possible). Sometimes, he would tell me a little about his life, and in return I would tell him about mine.

Which brings me to another topic.

The Saturday he came over to my house, he said he had a secret to tell me; one that he has never told anyone before. Unfortunate events lead him to not telling me that day; and he had yet to even mentioned he had offered to tell me. One time I asked him about, but he quickly changed the subject, said possibly another day.

In all honesty, that worried me. Whatever he was hiding must've been big. The day he mentioned it, he didn't exactly look like he wanted to tell me. I didn't want to push him into anything he was uncomfortable with, but I was curious. What secret could be big enough that you could tell a single soul? And what made him think he could tell me?

The bell rang, and all the students quickly hustled out of the room; except for me of course. Once the coast was clear, I grabbed my belongings and bounced to the front of the classroom. I sat on top of my usual desk, kicking my legs back and forth.

Mr. Grayson looked up, a somewhat annoyed expression on his face. Still, I knew he wouldn't be made at my behavior.

"You do know that is school property you're sitting on?" He asked, crossing his arms. I grinned.

"if it can support all the work you give us, I'm sure it can support me." I almost laughed at Mr. Grayson's stunned expression. He scoffed, shaking his head.

"I hardly give you enough work to last you an hour." He growled. I rolled my eyes, hopping off my desk. I stood above his desk, grabbing a stack of paper on his desk. It was a rubric for an upcoming project.

"Really? A six thousand word essay on what to do and not to do when on a mission?" Me. Grayson shrugged, turning to his computer and beginning to type something. "I'm surprised I'm not failing, I mean, you give us more work than all my teachers combine!"

"And yet, you're one of my top students. Why is that?" He questioned, looking at me through his glasses. I tapped my fingers on my chin, pretending to be deep in thought.

"Dunno. Maybe I get perks for being teacher's pet." I suggested, wiggling my eyebrows. He rolled his eyes, giving me a slight glare.

"I never said you were my favorite, Garfield." I grinned, grabbing the stack of paper that needed to be graded. I turned on my heel, walking to my usual desk and sitting down.

"What time do you think we'll be done?" I asked, beginning to grade the first worksheet. Mr. Grayson scrunched his eyebrows in thought for a second, clicking his tongue.

"Considering we had caught up with the majority of our work, I'd say around five." He said. I nodded.

"Alright, I better tell Vic then, he doesn't like to be here too early or too-" As I dug in my pocket for my phone, I noticed something strange. It wasn't there. I always kept my phone in my pocket. I quickly grabbed my backpack, searching frantically through it.

Mr. Grayson must've noticed this, because he cocked his head to the side with a confused expression.

"Is everything alright?" He asked. I shock my head in disbelief.

"My phone. It's gone."

"Perhaps you dropped or misplaced it somewhere." He suggested. I simply nodded, standing up.

"I'm going to go look for it."

"I could help you, if you'd like." I shook my head.

"I got it, you just finish you're work. If I don't see it in the hallways I'll go to the office." Mr. Grayson gave me a weary look, but he wasn't going to argue with me. I quickly walked out of the room, keeping my head down as I scanned the hallway.

I searched the every possible place I've been today. I never took any odd routes, so it was unlikely that my phone would stray to where I never was. Still, I had no luck finding the device in any of the hallways or classrooms I looked in. It was as if it completely disappeared.

I sighed, shaking my head in defeat. I knew it wouldn't be the end of the world if I couldn't find it; it wasn't like I couldn't just but a new one. Still, it was a bit wired for my phone to completely disappeared like this. I should've at least noticed if it fell.

Having no luck finding my cell, I decided my best bet was to try the main office. As I walked towards the front of the school, I noticed a familiar figure from a distance. He wore a sly smile, and was tossing something up and down in the air. I growled.

"Looking for something?" He said, grinning from ear to ear. I snarled, marching up to him. Before I could get to close, he raised his hand, tutting. "You're very popular aren't you, Gar?"

"Why do you have that?" I asked through gritted teeth. Roy simply grinned, turning on my phone and scrolling through it.

"Let's see," he said with an amused smile. "Vic wants to know when you want him to pick him up. Rita asked how are you doing and oh...who's Richard?" I felt my blood boil, and I quickly grabbed for my phone.

He somehow suspected this and moved out of the way at the last second, sticking out his foot. I tripped, falling to the ground with a thud. I spun around and glared at my smiling classmate.

"This Richard couldn't be our very own Richard Grayson, now could it? You know, our superhero anatomy teacher?" I growled, springing back up. I lunged for my phone again, only to be kicked roughly on the side, sending me toppling over.

"September third; Should I come over...I don't think that's a good idea...too late I'm already in my car. I'll be there in 15 minutes. September fifth; Maybe you could come over again to play some video games. You're really good. September eighth; What do you find attractive in a person...well they have to be fun to be around, loyal, and-"

"what do you want, Roy?" I said, feeling my anger boiling over. I don't think I've ever been so angry, so embarrassed, so mortified in my life. And I've been through some messed up stuff.

"Me? I want what any other sensible human being wants. To protect their friends," he said, his face suddenly turning serious. I slowly stood up, but didn't try to get my phone. "I told you that he's dangerous. And yet...you still see him. And it looks to me like it goes beyond school."

"You have no business meddling into my personal life! I hardly even know you!" I screamed. He tutted me again, flashing my phone.

"What do you think would happen if word got out that there was a secret relationship between you two?" He asked with a mischievous grin. My anger was soon replaced with something else. Fear.

"What do you want?" I repeated, but more quietly. He flashed a smile.

"I want him gone. I don't like him, and I don't like what he's doing to you." I growled, clutching my fists, my anger resurfacing. What gave him the right to go through my phone? What gave him the right to say who I could or could not see?

"What exactly is he doing to me?" I growled. Roy then started chuckling, pinching his nose.

"Don't you see it!" He said hysterically. "He's crazy! He has secrets! And he's dangerous! I would expect you of all people to realize this. He's baiting you with his wealth-"

"How did you know about-"

"I read all of your texts, Gar. Don't pretend like he's never given you money. How big was the sum, hm? Just how much does it take for you to be his little-" I couldn't hold it in anymore.

I tackled him to the ground. When we landed, my phone slipped from his hand. We both realized this, and before Roy could make any move to reach for it, I punched him in the face. I quickly scrambled off him, reaching for the phone, only to have my leg pulled back.

"Let go of me! You're crazy!" I yelled, trying to kick him off of me. He just held on tighter, pulling me back.

"I'm trying to help you! Why won't you-" He suddenly let go. I turned back in confusion, and saw Mr. Grayson standing above an unconscious Roy. I looked between the both of them, stunned. What had he done to knock him out so fast? How did I not hear him coming?

"Garfield, are you alright?" He asked, taking a step towards me. Before I could even think, I grabbed my phone, jumped up, and ran in the other direction. I didn't know where I was going, I just needed to put as much distance as I could from me and my teacher as possible.

I rounded another corner and opened the janitors closet, locking myself inside. I was breathing heavily, and my emotions were going haywire. It felt as if my lungs would burst any minute now.

I pulled out my cell phone and began frantically texting Vic, telling him to come get me. Just as I was about to press send, I heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway. I quickly turned off my phone and held my breath. I could see the shadow of someone walking by as they passed. I watched as the feet slowly walked away.

I let out a shaky breath, letting myself relax. However, that was quickly changed as the door swung open and the last person I wanted to see came in. I jumped, stepping back a few feet.

Mr. Grayson stood in front of the door, staring intently at me. It was the first time I felt afraid of him. We stared at each other for a good minute before Mr. Grayson sighed, sinking a little.

"Do you hate me?" He said quietly. I looked away, pressing my lips.

"Did you...what did you do to him?" When I saw Roy, he was completely motionless. I couldn't even tell if he were breathing or not. I feared the worst.

"I simply put him in a temporary sleep. He's in the nurses office and should wake up in about an hour. He won't remember anything from today."

"I can't do this anymore." I said, shaking. I didn't dare look at Mr. Grayson. I knew that as soon as I did I would regret those words.

"Garfield I-" he said, taking a few steps towards me.

"You don't get it, do you? This...us...it's wrong! I don't want to constantly fear about what others think. I don't want there to still be mysteries between us. I don't want your money!" I yelled, my anger finally boiling over.

"Then what do you want?" He asked gently. I glanced up at him, crossing my arms.

"I-I don't know," I say quietly, shaking my head. "What does it matter? I'm out," I said, brushing pass him. Just as I was about to grab for the door, I was grabbed by my shoulders and turned around.

Before I could even comprehend what was happening, Mr. Grayson's lips were on mine. I tensed for a moment, but quickly eased into the kiss. It was just as I imagined his lips to feel like. Soft, but I could still make out the little chapped areas.

He gently pushed me against the door, grazing his tongue on the bottom of my lip. I slowly parted my lips, allowing him entrance. Our tongues battled for dominance, but in the end I lost and let Mr. Grayson do whatever searching it wanted.

As we kissed I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him closer. His arms left my shoulders and onto a more comfortable spot on my waist. I wrapped my fingers around his raven locks, tugging on them slightly. A throaty moan escaped as he bit down on my bottom lip, causing a sharp intake of breath.

He slowly let go, and we separate. Still, his face was only centimeters away from mine. We were both panting heavily, staring directly into each other's eyes.

"What do you want?" He whispered again. I felt myself shudder, but I couldn't look away, not even if I wanted to. I wanted to run, wanted to deny theses feelings, but I know it would be fruitless. I couldn't deny how I felt.

"I want you."

...

**I'm sorry guys, it wasn't my plan to make Roy the bad guy. It was only him in the beginning because I knew his real name without having to look it up. Sorry if you like him :(**

**On a brighter note...Yay they kissed for real this time! I don't know, I feel like this story is taking a dark turn, which is not what I planned on in the slightest. This was supposed to be a nice happy fic, but all these new ideas are showing how messed up my brain is.**

**This chapter is short too, I'm sorry I just realized. But a lot happened so hopefully that makes up for it? Hehe heh**

**Aw, that last guess review made my day( I mean, every review does of course) so thanks whoever you are! I think I'm going to start doing shout outs at the end of early chapter, so be sure to review!**


	13. Chapter 13: A Security Breaching

I glanced at Roy from across the room. He had a black eye from yesterday, and refused to tell anyone how he got it. Whenever anyone got too close to him, he would snap at them and tell them to leave him alone. The whole class period, he stared at Mr. Grayson with an almost confused expression.

Mr. Grayson was right, he didn't remember anything.

It sent chills down my spine knowing that he did something to him to cause this; and so quickly. It made me wonder what else he could do and hiding.

"Remember class, the essay will be due in two weeks. I expect six thousand words, no more, no less." The class groaned, but quickly left the room as the bell rang. Mr. Grayson sat at his desk, shuffling the remaining rubrics in his hand.

I cautiously slipped out of my desk, my hands stuffed in my pocket. I walked to his desk, and it felt like I was walking to my death. Mr. Grayson noticed me and flashed me his signature, charming smile.

"Here," I say, taking my hand out of my pocket and holding out a crumpled piece of paper. "I don't need it." Mr. Grayson gave me an odd look before taking the check.

"Are you sure? Because if this is about what Mr. Harper said yes-"

"It's not about that." I interjected. I looked down to the ground, shuffling slightly. "I was going to give it back to you eventually." He hummed, typing on his computer. "I need to talk to you." I said, looking at him.

He stopped typing, giving me a quizzical look. I huffed, shuffling again.

"I don't think we should see each other anymore." I said quietly. His expression didn't look shocked, or even surprised I had said this.

"You don't want to see me anymore?" He repeated, though he tone made it sound like I didn't know what I was talking about.

"I don't want to cut you off completely. I just-"

"I understand. You're unsure. You don't trust me, I get it. I don't want to lead you into a relationship you're not comfortable wi-" I growled, bending over the table to grab his face. I smashed our lips together, instantly shutting him up. It was a brief kiss, but it worked. I pulled back, crossing my arms.

"Can you shut up and let me talk for a second?" I snapped. Mr. Grayson blushed, nodding. I nervously looked around the room. The door was closed and it didn't look like anyone was in the hallway. I sighed. "Look I just don't think I should be seeing you directly after school anymore. At least not everyday." I muttered.

"If we're going to make this thing work...it has to be in private. I did some research, and what we're doing is seriously illegal. You could face federal charges or be sent to prison. And I don't want that." I said.

Mr. Grayson nodded slowly, licking his lips. He tapped his chin in thought.

"I'm well aware of the consequences, but I do not fear them." He stated after a moment of thought. I wanted to interject, but he beat me to it. "I do not care about the law, but I care about you. If you feel that it is best we keep secret, then I agree wholeheartedly."

I let myself give a ghost of a smile, nodding. I quickly dropped back to serious mode, crossing my arms.

"Alright," I say sternly. "That means that whatever we do, it has to be where no one else can see. That means any public place will have to be very secluded. Also, we need to watch what we say to each other on the phone. I already changed your name to something else, and I suggest you do the same." He nodded in understanding.

"Anything else?" He asked. I nodded, shuffling again for the umpteenth time.

"Yeah," I said, looking directly in his eyes. "No more secrets. I want to know everything about you. In return I'll do the same. You don't have to tell me all at one time but...I can't have secrets."

I saw Mr. Grayson tense, and I thought that maybe he wouldn't agree to this. I knew that if he didn't, it would be over between us. I refuse to have a relationship filled with lies.

"Alright." He finally said in a shaky breath. I smiled, sticking out my hand. He gave me an odd look, meeting my own hand in a firm handshake.

"It was nice working with you, Mr. Grayson. But I hate grading papers so I have to stop. I'll see you in class, ok?" I turned around, but not before flashing him a wink. His expression was beyond confused, and I could've laughed at how stunned he look.

I quickly walked out of the room, leaving my teacher to grade the rest of the papers alone.

...

"You've been acting off ever since yesterday, is everything alright?" Victor asked. I jumped slightly, peering over at him. He had a concerned expression on his face, and I knew that if I lied he would see right through me.

"Im just thinking." Well, it was half the truth. I was thinking, yes, but what about I would never tell. I couldn't stop imagining what had happened yesterday in the closet. Where he kissed me.

I admitted to my crush on him, and he almost immediately let me go without a word. It confused me to no end. How do you make out with someone and then brush them off like it was nothing?

"Well stop it. It's weird." I forced myself to laugh. I then turned back for the window, watching as the trees whirled by. We pulled into the parking lot, Vic immediately stretching as soon as he stepped out of the car. I followed him into the house, and noticed that it was eerily empty.

"Where are the girls?" I asked. Victor shrugged, heading towards the kitchen.

"Dunno, they're always off doing something." He said, digging through the refrigerator. "Everyone's acting strange." I rolled my eyes, flipping onto the couch. I then grabbed the remote, turning on the large flat screen.

Victor sat down beside me, tossing me a soda. We sat in silence as I flipped through the channels. Nothing seemed eye catching, so I settled on some cartoon. About halfway through the show, Victor coughed.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" He said suddenly. I gave him an odd look, turning down the volume.

"Of course, you wouldn't be my best friend if I couldn't." I said matter of factly.

"Then what is going on between you and Mr. Grayson?" I blushed, quickly adverting my attention back to the television screen.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I muttered. I knew Vic was rolling his eyes.

"I was just joking before, but I seriously think you have a thing for him. Why else would you stay after school with him everyday?"

"Dude, you don't have to worry about that. I told him I was done today." I turned to Vic, who had a shocked expression on his face.

"Why?" I shrugged.

"My hand hurts from grading so many papers." I said nonchalantly. He gave me a confused look before shaking his head in disbelief.

"How are you just going to leave the man in the dust like that?" He said chuckling. For a second I thought that would be the end of the conversation, but that quickly vanished when Vic asked another questioned. "Then if it wasn't Mr. Grayson you were hanging out with, who was it?"

Before I could answer the door flew open. Kori walked in, her hair flying in every direction and breathing heavily. Vic and I instantly jumped up, worried that something bad had happened. Just as I was about to question her, Raven walked up calmly behind her.

"What have you two been doing?" Victor asked accusingly. I rolled my eyes. He was such a mom. Still, I was curious to why Kori was like that.

"We had a race." Raven stated, walking inside. Kori followed, closing the door behind her. Raven brushed past me and Vic, into the kitchen and grabbing a water bottle. "I won."

She then tossed the bottle to Kori, who barely had time to register it. Once she caught it, she immediate unscrewed the lid and began drinking it. We washed in amazement as she only took three gulps to finish the bottle. She let out a breath of relief, crushing the bottle.

"Thank you, friend Raven." She panted. Raven simply shrugged, walking in the other direction. Kori quickly followed after her, a smile on her face. Vic and I exchanged glances.

"There's something up with them." He said.

"Definitely." I agreed. Then we both laughed, knowing that the idea was ridiculous. Once I settled down, I wiped my eye, coughing. "Dude, seriously. Stop being such a mom. I have Rita for that."

he rolled his eye, crossing his arms.

"I'm just looking out for everybody. Somebody has to." I shoved him slightly, shaking my head. But deep down, I knew he would find out about Mr. Grayson...and he wouldn't like it.

...

There was a honk sounding from outside, signaling my time to leave. I bid my friends farewell, rushing out the door. Along the drive was a red and black motorcycle. The engine was purring loudly, and i could tell it had some sick mileage.

I was thankful the drivers face was shielded by a dark helmet, because I could see my friends looking through it curiously. I quickly made my way over to the driver, giving him an incredulous look.

"I didn't know you owned a bike." I smiled. I could tell the person with the helmet was smirking, even if I couldn't see it. I nodded for me to get on the bike, handing me my own helmet.

I obediently obliged, hopping onto the passengers seat. I wrappers my arms around his waist as he roared the engine again. I rested my chin on his back, loving how warm he was.

And then we were gone.

...

I hopped off the bike, taking the helmet off and shaking my hair. Mr. Grayson followed suit, placing his helmet on the handles.

"You did well for your first time on a cycle," Mr. Grayson cooed. I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms.

"That wasn't my first time. " I argued. I then took in my surroundings. "Where are we anyways?" Mr. Grayson hummed, placing his hands behind his back.

"The most secluded place I could think of." He stated. I scrunched my nose.

"A museum?" Mr. Grayson chucked, grabbing my hand and intertwining our fingers. I blushed, allowing him to lead me inside the building. He bought both of us tickets, and together we roamed the building aimlessly.

Most of the artwork were from local artist; ranging anything to simple paintings to larger than life sculptures. Mr. Grayson tried explaining the different artworks and what they represented, but I couldn't stop thinking about our interlocked hands. He hasn't let go yet.

"-and this is from an artist who calls himself Dr. Light. He takes things that illuminates and transforms them into a work of art." He said, pointing to a rather large sculpture made out of light bulbs. I had to admit, it was pretty impressive. And the many different colors made it seem like it was made out of something supernatural.

"Amazing." I breathed. Mr. Grayson smiled, sending my heart flitteriing. He he then leant down to my ear level, causing me to shutter as his hot breath tickled my ear.

"Why don't we do something...a little more fun, hm?" He whispered. If my blush could darken, it probably did. I wordlessly nodded, and Mr. Grayson began leading me somewhere that I didn't even know existed inside this museum.

The area was dark, but I could still make out the sculptures. And they weren't pleasant. Most of them were disgorged figures...twisted limbs and manipulated faces. It reminded me of something out of a horror movie. I found myself latching on closer to my teacher.

"Scared are we?" He chuckled. I frowned.

"No way!" Just then I felt something rush past my feet, and I couldn't stop the yelp that came out of my throat.

"It was merely a rat, Garfield." He laughed. I growled, stopping. Mr. Grayson gave me a confused look, stopping as well.

"Why did you bring me here?" I demanded, letting go and crossing my arms. I could see Mr. Grayson shrug, as he stepped closer to me.

"I just didn't want to embarrass you when I did this." He then cupped my chin, lifting it up. He gently pressed his lips against mine, and I instantly relaxed. The kiss was short and simple, leaving me wanting more.

"Who's to say I would be embarrassed?" I grinned, wrapping my arms around his neck. He chuckled, shaking his head. I pulled him down, recapturing his lips, this time more passionately. I almost completely forgot we were in a creepy room.

Almost.

In the midst of our make out session, there was a loud creek, causing me to jump. Mr. Grayson hissed, covering his hand with his mouth. My eyes widen as I realized that I bit him.

"I-I'm so sorry-" I began, only for him to quickly shush me. He grabbed my hand and lead me behind a large sculpture. Just as we did this, I notice light shining.

"Are you sure they came down here?" Someone said.

"They have to be. where esle would they go?" Another voice said. The footsteps grew louder as they got closer to us. I gave Mr. Grayson a questioning look, and he simply motioned for me to stay quiet.

The footsteps stopped right in front of the stature we were hiding behind, and I had to cover my mouth to hold my increasing breathing. Someone sniffed, and the growled.

"They're in here, alright. Come on out fella's this is a restricted area." He said. I turned to Mr. Grayson, silently asking if we should expose ourselves. He frantically shook his head. He then pointed to the exit, making wings with his hand.

I shook my head also. How could he just expect me to leave him. Still, he pointed towards the exit, and th look he was giving me told me I shouldn't argue. I nodded, reluctantly, turning into a humming bird and speeding toward the exit.

As I buzzed by, I got a quick glimpse of the two men. They were both tall and muscular, seeming to be too large to be an average person. They both carried riffles and flashlights. I suddenly felt bad for leaving Mr. Grayson alone.

I shifted back to my human form once safely outside the building, where I waited for my teacher to come out. Almost five minutes went by, and there were still no signs of him. I was debating on whether or not to go back in and make sure he was alright.

Just as I had made my mind up, the doors swung open, and Mr. Grayson walked outside calmly. I couldn't contain my excitement, running up to him and wrapping my arms around him.

"Don't scare me like that!" I yelled, separating from him to punch him in the arm. He nervously chuckled, rubbing the area I had punched him in. "What happened? Who were those guys?" I asked.

I could see Mr. Grayson tense a little as he shuffled on his feet. But that was quickly masked by a warm smile.

"Those were...security guards. They must've saw us walk in." He said sheepishly. I raised my eyebrow.

"So they just let you off the hook?" I asked. He shrugged, grabbing my hand.

"Nothing but a little persuasion." He said simply. I eyes him wearily as we began walking towards the bike. It sounded like a reasonable explanation, but I couldn't be sure. As much as I wanted to believe him, I knew he wasn't telling the truth.

"Well how about that for a first date? Nearly giving me a heart attack and all," I say, laughing nervously. He grinned, handing me my helmet.

"You have to admit it was fun," he said, getting on the bike. I shook my head, following suit.

"You so owe me." I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. He started the engine, causing the vehicle to give out a loud pur.

"I look forward to it."

...

**I know it's been a while since I uploaded, school just started this week and is already kicking my butt. I'm going to try to update once a week, but it all depends on how much homework I have. **

**On another note, this story is about to get real deep real fast. I already have it all plotted out and I don't know if some of you guys will like it. But seriously, it's good. Even if it will break a few hearts. **

**Also, I'm getting considerably less views on this story. I go from a hundred something readers to nearly fifty. That's a huge drop to me. So if there's anything I can do to make this story better, please let me know!**

**FFking1140: ****I think we're thinking of two different darks there buddy, but don't worry. their time will come eventually ;). What I meant was drama of a sort lol. But thanks for your review!**

**To everyone else that's reading, please review! We're really starting to slack and I need motivation:)**


	14. Chapter 14: Jealousy

"Mr. Logan, if you find my lesson so boring, perhaps you would like to teach it to the class instead." I blushed as the class erupted with snickers and laughter. Honestly, it wasn't my fault that I couldn't stay awake during class. And it wasn't like his class was the only one I couldn't keep my eyes open for.

Ever since Mr. Grayson and I got together, we didn't see each other as much as we used to. In fact, the last time we saw one another outside of school was at the museum a couple weeks ago. Since we couldn't see each other directly after school anymore, we resorted to texting each other. The only problem was, we could only talk to each other in the dead of night. Mr. Grayson didn't finish his paperwork until late because I wasn't there to help him anymore, and I had to make sure none of my friends suspected anything. Plus, the hours of homework didn't give me much time to talk during the day.

"No sir, I'm sorry sir." I mumbled, trying to conceal my blush. He gave me a weary look before sliding a slip of paper on my desk. I picked it up, and my jaw immediately dropped. "Detention!" I yell in utter shock. Mr. Grayson simply shrugged, crossing his arms.

"I will not tolerate sleeping during my class, Mr. Logan. I expect to see you directly after class. Do I make myself clear?" I pouted, crossing my arms in defeat.

"Crystal." I huffed.

"Good." He said with a quick nod. He then folded his arms behind his back and continued to was down the aisle. "as I was saying..." Whatever he was saying, I tuned him out. How dare he give me a detention when he was the reason for it! That's so unfair. When I see him I'm going to give him piece of my mind.

Apparently, my expression replicated how I felt, and someone seemed to notice. I heard a low snicker from beside me, and almost instantly rolled my eyes.

"I guess you're not teacher's pet anymore." Roy teased in a low whisper. I frowned.

"Who says I was ever his pet?" Roy simply coiled a smile, shrugging. He then shot his hand up in the air. I stared at him in shock, wondering just exactly what he was trying to do. Mr. Grayson spotted him from his desk, and gave him a questioning look.

"Is something concerning you, Mr. Harper?" Mr. Grayson asked, setting down down his textbook.

"No sir. I was just wondering if you needed help grading papers this afternoon." Roy stated, an innocent smile plastered on his face. I looked between his face, to Mr. Grayson's, who looked just as taken aback as I was. He pushed up the frames of his glasses, coughing slightly.

"I suppose...I could always use a helping hand." He said, though it sounded more like a question. Roy's smile larger, and he sat his hand back on his desk. I stared at him in shock, and a hint of annoyance. I could tell the whole class was wondering what was going on too, by the way they all exchanged glances. Mr. Grayson coughed again, as he began teaching wherever he left off.

I looked over to Roy, silently asking what he was planning. My response was a smirk and a wink.

* * *

The bell rang, and the class quickly left the room. Roy was the first to get up from his seat when the room was empty, and began making his way to our teacher's desk. I quickly made my way after him, trying to catch Mr. Grayson's eye as I made his way to his desk. He looked up just as we stood in front of his desk. He gave us a warm smile, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Mr. Logan, I suppose you already know what to do." He said, handing me a stack of paper. "Please take a seat at the back of the classroom so that you are not tempted to talk to Mr. Harper." I accepted the stack of papers, although begrudgingly. From behind Roy, I pouted, slumping my shoulder. He simply waved me on, but I could detect the hint of amusement in his eyes. I stuck my tongue out at him playfully, before making my way to the back of the classroom.

Once I took my seat, I eyed the two in the front suspiciously. It looked like Mr. Grayson was trying to explain to Roy how to grade the papers. Which was all fine and dandy with me. What wasn't fine was that Roy had somehow maneuvered his way around his desk, so that they were on the same side. He leaned in uncharacteristically close as Mr. Grayson explained the steps to how to grade. I could tell Roy was listening halfheartedly by the way his focus wasn't at all on the stacks of paper. Instead, they were glued to my teacher, who was oblivious to the whole ordeal.

My final straw was when Mr. Grayson said something funny (which I doubt was the case because Mr. Grayson had a hard sense on humor) and Roy laughed. This wouldn't have been so bad if it wasnt for the fact that Roy just had to graze his hand down Mr. Grayson's arm to emphasize how funny he was. Now, I'm never one to get jealous, but that just put the cherry on top. I growled, forcing my eyes away from them.

I couldn't even be mad that Mr. Grayson gave me a detention anymore. Instead, I was more angered by the fact that he wasnt doing anything to stop Roy's obvious flirting! Either he was really dense or really nice, and I doubt it was either of the two. I began scribbling on the papers with more force than necessary, not even taking to account that these would have to be given back to the students.

* * *

It wasn't until an hour passed that Mr. Grayson said I was off the hook for dozing off in class. As soon as I heard this, I threw my stack of papers on his desk and marched out of the classroom. I knew it was petty of me, especially when Roy was still inside the room. But can you blame me? Either Mr. Grayson was really dense or really nice, and I don't think it was either of the two. I mean, Roy was practically screaming take me I'm yours! The whole time Roy was asking about his personal life. _Where are you from? How do like Jump? Are you in a relationship? Oh you're single? That's great! _To top it all off, Roy would constantly ask questions about what to do (because grading papers was that hard) which would somehow lead to the both of them getting too close for comfort.

Ok, maybe I was taking things way out of proportion. Maybe Mr. Grayson really didn't suspect Roy was flirting with him. Or maybe he was just trying to play it cool so that Roy didn't suspect anything. Or maybe Roy had something bigger up his sleeve. There wasnt a real reason for me to get as jealous as I did. Especially if Mr. Grayson and I weren't technically together.

By the time I made it outside into the parking lot, my anger had considerable lessened. Of course, it only spiked back up when I realized Vic wouldn't be here to pick me up. I hadn't told him I had gotten a detention, so he probably thought that I had gotten a ride home. Great, my day just keeps getting better and better. As I reached in my pocket for my phone, I felt it buzz. I groaned, thinking it was probably Vic wandering when I was coming home. I pulled out the phone and read the message.

_Dick (6:08 pm)_

_Hey, don't leave yet. I need to talk to you._

I frowned, rolling my eyes. I had saved Mr. Gayson's number under the name Dick. Don't ask me why, the name seemed fitting.

_6:09 pm_

_Not like I have a choice tbh_

_Dick (6:11 pm)_

_Good. I'll be out in five. Meet me by my car._

I groaned, looking across the parking lot. Was it a blessing or a curse that his car was on the far end of the parking lot? I shoved my phone back inside my pocket. I grabbed my belongings and began the trek down the parking lot. Once I reached the car, I checked to see if the door was unlocked. To my surprise it was. Either he had a lot of faith in this school not stealing his ride, or he unlocked it for me to get in. Whatever, at least I didn't have to wait outside.

I got inside the car, closing the door behind me. Once inside, I folded my arms, tapping my foot in anticipation. I knew I would have to apologize for my behavior, but I was never really one for I'm sorry's. Its not that I don't like admitting I was wrong, but it was finding the courage to admit it. Just as I was about to check my phone to check the time, the door opened, and Mr. Grayson sat in the car, and closed the door behind him.

Before I could even say anything, he grabbed me on either side of my face, crashing our lips together. I wanted to protest, to get what I needed to say off my chest, but I missed this. The feel of his lips on mine. It felt like forever since we kissed. But as soon as our lips met, we separated, but not far enough so that I wasnt staring directly into my teachers dark blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," He breathed, his breath tickling my lips.

"For what, you didn't do anything wrong." I whisper, pecking his lips. He shook his head.

"I'm sorry we have to pretend. I'm sorry if I'm making life rough for you. I just don't want anyone to suspect anything-"

"Stop apologizing. If anything I should be sorry for getting jealous." I interrupted. A small smile grazed his features as he cocked his head to the side.

"You were jealous?" He teased, raising an eyebrow. I blushed, trying to frown but failing. "Don't be embarrassed," He said, giving me a peck on my lips. "I think it's cute."

"S-shut up!" I growled, though I couldn't conceal my blush. He chuckled, connecting our lips again. He leaned forward, deepening the kiss. I moaned, grabbing onto the collar of his shirt to pull him down with me as I leaned back onto the window. I wrapped my arms around his neck, as his hands left my face to rest on the side of my waist. I felt I shiver go down my spine as his hands somehow found their way underneath my sweatshirt, and he began slowly rubbing his hands along my back.

He then left my lips to kiss down the side of my face until he reached my neck, where he began to suck on some spots gently. I groaned, curling my fingers around his raven locks.

"W-what if someone sees?" I managed to ask, though I couldn't control my stutter. I felt him smile against me, kissing my neck one last time before stopping to look up at me.

"Don't worry, the windows are tinted. No one can see inside." I took this as a suitable answer, nodding in understanding. He smiled softly before reconnecting our lips, this time snaking his tongue into it. I let out a surprised gasp as he nibbled down on my bottom lip, which allowed him to slide his tongue deeper inside my , I had forgotten all about his hands. That is until he started to raise my shirt up. He gave me one last peck on the lip before moving down to my stomach. He began kissing along my belly button, and then move upward from there. I had to look away as my blush grew deeper.

"I've missed you so much, Garfield." He moaned inbetween kisses. The only reply I could give without completely embarrassing myself was a supress whine. This seemed to only tempt him to go further, as he continued to kiss up my abdomen. Just as he was about to reach my naval, a loud buzz rang through the car. We both immediately jumped away, Mr. Grayson to the passenger seat, and me trying to fix my shirt.

I looked around for the source of the sound (which was still buzzing loudly) and was a little less than happy to see it was my phone which had somehow dropped to the ground. I gave Mr. Grayson an apologetic smile before picking it up, answering the phone.

"Where are you? Do you know what time it is!" If it weren't for the fact that I was trying to regain my breath, I would've laughed at Victor's over-protectiveness.

"I'm fine, Vic. I got a detention." I manage to say without sounding like I just ran a marathon.

"A detention? From who?" I looked over to Mr. Grayson, who had an unreadable expression on his face. I didn't know if he could hear or conversation, but even if he couldn't I'm sure he had picked up on it.

"Can you guess?" There was a moment of silence on the other end before I heard some rustling and the jingle of keys.

"Alright, I'm coming to get your green butt. You owe me." I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. See you when you get here." I hung up the phone, letting my head drop onto the chair. I sighed, looking over to Mr. Grayson. "Sorry about that." I breathed. He followed suit, resting his head on his seat. He gave me a small smile.

"It's understandable. At least you have people who care about you." I hummed, turning away to look up at the ceiling.

"We're messed up." I groaned. I heard Mr. Grayson chuckle.

"I guess we are." He agreed. I smirked, looking out the window. The parking lot had cleared out, and it looked like we were the only one's that were left.

"I guess I should go." I said, reaching out for the handle. Before I could reach it though, Mr. Grayson grabbed my hand, interlacing them. I gave him a confused look. He gave me a warm smile, tugging me back slightly.

"Let's stay together for as long as we can." I said quietly, his eyes almost begging me to stay. A small grin formed across my face, and a silently agreed. I leaned over in my seat so that my head could rest comfortably on his shoulder. As we waited for Vic to pick me up, our hands never let go.

* * *

**Ihateschoolomgwhycantitbesummeragain!**

**Ok, I literally have no time afterschool to do anything. I've been basically working on this chapter in snippets for the past two weeks and its still isnt enough! But I wanted to get this out, especially since this weekend turned into a four day weekened (bless that hurricane). Enjoy the lovey dovey stuff while you can because we're about to do a 180. **

**Also, you guys are so nice! I've gotten so many kind reviews on my last chapters recently, and each one made me smile. It makes slaving away at school worth it!**

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**First, thanks for the constructive cristism! Yeah, re-reading my stories literally make me cringe because of all he mistakes, but that's honestly because I do most of my writing on my phone and spell check doesnt really work heh heh. I'll try to work on that. Also, when I first started this story I dont really know what I was thinking and since starting the story back up I decided it was too late to change it? So that's why there are still villains.**

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	15. Chapter 15: A Dinner of Secrets

The month of October was a blur, and we were now in the month of November. During this course of time, a lot of accomplishments have been made. We were able to upgrade our home so that we could look over the whole city at any given time. The technology had been improved significantly, and we were in the process of funding a headquarters on an island on the outskirts of the city.

We couldn't be an official superhero team until we graduated, but even so, that was only a few months away. Until that time, the gang and I decided to enjoy the last bit of high school to its fullest. We snuck into some more clubs, threw a couple house parties (though didn't let it get too out of hand), and hung out with each other as much as we could.

Mr. Grayson and I also spent a lot more time together, though it was always in secret. We would go on dates in the outskirts of town, sometimes in another city of we felt the need for it. Somehow, those dates always ended up in long make-out sessions. The few times I stayed after school with him, we were always interrupted by Roy tagging along. Mr. Grayson would even tell me that he showed up when I wasn't there. I knew he wasn't just volunteering out of the goodness of his heart, he was planning something. I just didn't know what yet.

Even though we were together often, I still hardly knew anything about Mr. Grayson. It was strange because I constantly told him details about my life; where I was born, how I got my powers, my abandonment, the doom patrol, anything I could think of. Yet, he never spoke about his life. I wanted to bring up the subject a few times, but decided against it. Maybe there was a reason he wasn't telling me. Still, it didn't stop me from worrying.

"Yo, Gar, you gon' eat that?" Victor asked with a mouth full off food as he pointed to my tray of fries. I shook my head, pushing the platter to my greedy friend, who immediately began eating it.

"Friend, you look sadder than a Gonzak. What troubles you?" Kori asked, noticing my displacement. I gave her a small, unconvincing grin, shaking my head.

"It's nothing Kor. I'm just thinking." I mumbled.

"We all know that can't be good." Raven remarked sarcastically. I frowned at her, sticking out my tongue.

"I bet it's about that mystery boyfriend he won't tell us about." Victor commented after gulping down his food.

"Who's to say it's a guy?" I snapped back.

"So there is someone?" Raven cooed, a small smirk on her face. I face palmed, realizing I walked right into that one. I let my hand drag down my face before groaning.

"Can we just drop the subject, dudes?" I whined.

"No way! We're your best friends! You should at least be able to tell us what problems your having." Victor said, crossing his arms.

"Yes, if you are the love sick we are here to help!" Kori chirped in. I sighed, looking down at my hands in my lap.

"It's just...I know nothing about him." I said quietly, although I could feel my face reddening. There was a moment of silence between the four of us before someone coughed.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Raven suddenly asked. I looked up, shaking my head furiously.

"Don't you think that's kind of...personal? It's not really my business-"

"You guys have been sneaking off with each other for too long for it to be personal." Victor interrupted, rolling his eyes. I pressed my lips together in thought. Maybe they were right, but they didn't know the kind of relationship I was in.

"Friend Beast Boy," Kori said softly, replacing a hand in my shoulder. "The key to a good relationship is trusting each other. Without trust, how could you stand as one? Right, friend Raven?"

Raven simply nodded, pulling her hood over her head. Even through the shadow of her hoodie, I could make out the small pink tinge on her cheeks. I looked between the two girls before smiling.

"Thanks guys."

...

The sleek car pulled into the driveway, and I bolted to the door, offering my friends a curt goodbye as I exited the house. The doors opened upwards as I approached the vehicle, and I immediately hopped into the car, closing the door behind me.

"You seem to be in a rush." The driver commented amusingly. I rolled my eyes, yet a small smile appeared on his face. I leaned over in my seat, placing a soft kiss on his pink lips.

"They wouldn't stop interrogating me about you." I said, setting back into my seat. Mr. Grayson chuckled, putting the ignition into reverse. He drove off the driveway and began driving off towards the city. He said he had a special date planned, so I was more than excited when he said to make sure to where something nice. Of course, I ran into problems when I figured out I didn't own anything remotely formal, which led me to asking my friends for help to find me a tailor.

I should've expected that they would've blown my ordeal way out of proportion. We spent the whole day at the mall picking out a suit for me to wear, and having it tailored to fit me perfectly. Above all that, they constantly pestered me about where I was going and who I was going with. Needless to say, the process was anything but enjoyable. Before Mr. Grayson showed up, they had all bombarded me with questions on who my "mystery boyfriend" was. I was thankful that he showed up when he did.

"You do realize they will have to find out about us sooner or later." Mr. Grayson said after a moment of silence. "It's not healthy to have secrets in your relationship." He added. I looked at him incredulously as he offered me a shrug. Was he serious? Did he not realize I knew almost nothing about him? Maybe he was just waiting for me to ask, but I highly doubt it.

"...Yeah." I sighed, resting me head on the seat. I wasn't going to press onto this conversation anymore, the moment wasnt right. "Where are we going anyway?" I asked. Mr. Grayson flashed me a charming grin.

"It's a surprise, remember?" He stated. I groaned. He simply chuckled, taking a right turn. "You do look nice though, Garfield." He complemented. I felt myself blush, sneaking a glance at my teacher. He had on jet black tuxedo with a black bow tie. He ditched the glassed, and I could clearly tell he sleeked back his hair with gel. I looked away, my blush deepening.

"You do too."

About half an hour passed before we pulled into a parking lot. It was packed, but Mr Grayson had a specially reserved parking space for himself. He stepped out of the car, walking in front of the car to my side to open the door. He offered me his hand, assisting me out of the vehicle. I smiled, taking the offering, and stepping out of the car. I turned to face the building, reading the large, vibrant sign.

"Wayne's?" I asked, never before hearing of the restaurant. Mr. Grayson smiled, intertwining our fingers together and leading me towards the entrance.

"Finest restaurant in Gotham." He said matter-of-factly. I gave him a look before shrugging, allowing myself to be led to the large glass doors. He opened it, allowing me to walk through first before walking in himself. The moment I entered, I was instantly hit by the white of the walls and floors. The tiles were a shiny marble and there were many statues that could be compared to the ones by the Greek.

The ceiling seemed to be stories high, as a large chandelier hang from it. Also, painted on the ceiling were paintings that resembled the Sistine Chapel. Velvet curtains draped around the window, embellished with gold designs. The foyer was large, and I could make out the doors to where the actual tables were. For some reason, I suspected that portion to be even more elegant than here.

A man with a gray reseeding hairline walked up to us, his hands propped behind his back. He was wearing an expensive looking tuxedo, a velvet tie around his neck. Even through his wrinkles, I could still see the youth in his eyes as he did a quick bow towards us. He offered us a small smile.

"Mr. Richard Grayson, always a pleasure to see you. And you brought a guess?" He greeted, smiling at both of us.

"The same to you." He said, offering his hand for the elderly to shake, who joyously accepted it. "And this is, Garfield." He added after their brief shake ended. The man turned towards me, a slight gleam in his eyes. I offered a small smile, sticking out my hand the same fashion my teacher had. The man grasped it, placing both his hands around mine before shaking it excitedly.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Garfield. I must say, it is a relief to see Mr. Richard with someone other than himself." The man laughed. I faked a laugh, looking over to Mr. Grayson for help.

"Now Jeffery, I would love to catch up with you, but Garfield and I came for a reason-"

"Yes, yes, of course!" Jeffery said, letting go of my hand to clasp his own together. "My apologies. Let me escort you to your seats." He then turned on his heels, placing his hands behind his back, as he began to walk towards the doors leading to the restaurant. We exchanged looks before following him inside the room.

It was just as I expected it to be. The tables were lined with satin white cloths, each holding their own sets of candles. In the very back of the room was a small ensemble of string players, who played melodic notes as everyone ate. The women were all dressed in Eleanor dresses while the men were dressed in tailor made suits. They all chatted quietly to one another, enjoying their dinner.

Jeffery led us to an opening in the center of the room. A large crystal chandelier hang above our, and I had a decent view of the city could be seen. Mr. Grayson pulled out my chair, to which I sat in. He took a seat opposite of me, flashing me a smile.

"I hope your seating pleases you." Jeffery said.

"Yes, thank you, Jeffery." Mr. Grayson said, giving him a satisfied nod.

"Anything for our best customer. I will fetch you a waiter. In the meantime do you wish for any refreshments?" He asked.

"Water please." I said.

"The usual." Mr. Grayson stated. Jeffery nodded, did another quick now, and headed off in the other direction to presumably get our drinks. "How are you liking it so far?" He asked.

"It's beautiful." I said, looking around the room. "I can't say I've ever been anywhere that looked this...expensive." Mr. Grayson laughed.

"Well, it's a good thing you have me to show you the wonders of life." I grinned, rolling my eyes. "Have a look at the menu, anything you want from it you can have. No price is too high."

I looked down at the menu placed perfectly on the table. I picked it up, looking through the laminated papers. As I looked through the menu, my sweat instantly dropped. Everything was so expensive! The salad was the least expensive thing on the menu, and even that was fifty dollars! What was it, made out of gold?

I looked over at Mr. Grayson, who scanned through its contents with a disinterested look on his face. He didn't seem to mind that the food cost hundreds of dollars a piece. Just how rich was this guy?

I looked back down at the menu, trying tying to decide on what to get. When I noticed that Mr. Grayson had already decided on what to eat a few minutes before, I quickly decided on a pasta with a side of bread sticks, setting my menu down myself.

"Find anything that interest you?" He asked, noticing I had set down the menu. I blushed, nodding.

"Yeah, I think I'm just going to get the pasta." I stated. He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"The pasta is hardly the best thing they have to offer." He scoffed, though held a playful smile on his face. I knew he wanted me to pick out something more expensive, since the pasta was one of the least, but I didn't feel comfortable with spending all that money on food. He noticed my discomfort and rested his hands on the table. "Tell you what, if you decide to order the pasta, you pick a dessert you want to eat too." I grinned at the preposition, but before I could answer a woman with brunet hair walked up to us.

"I hope everything is serving to your likeings." She mused as she set down a glass of water in front of me. She placed two wine glasses on the table, afterwards she set a bucket of ice and a wine bottle in the center.

"Yes, thank you." Mr. Grayson said, smiling at the girl. I thanked her also as she took the menu's off the table and took out a note pad.

"For you, Mr. Grayson, I assume the usual?" She asked, already scribbling words down.

"Actually, I think I want to switch it up today. I'll have whatever he's having." He said, directing his attention towards me. The woman let out a sound of surprise, scribbling out whatever she was writing. I gave him an odd look also.

"What would you like, sweetie?" She asked sweetly, directing her attention to me. I coughed.

"The pasta sounds nice." I say, offering her a smile. She grinned back, writing the order down.

"I'll be sure to have your orders as soon as possible." She said cheekily before walking away to place the orders. Once she was out of sight, I raised my eyebrow at my date.

"Just how often do you come here?" I asked amusingly. He smiled softly, resting his chin on his now propped up hands.

"I don't know, once a week? I usually just for a quick lunch." He said nonchalantly. I raised an eyebrow.

"You're able to afford this every week on a teacher's salary?" He seemed taken aback by my question, as he slowly removed his hands from the table an onto his lap.

"Excuse me?" He said incredulously. I wanted to take it back and apologize for antagonizing, but I knew I would never be happy with myself for backing down.

"I mean, you live in a mansion, have an awesome sports car and motorcycle, able to offer me half a grand, and able to afford this food every week all base on a teacher's salary?" He seemed shocked at my accusation, as he slowly licked his lips and furrowed his brow. He sighed, shaking his head. He then reached over for the wine in the bucket.

"Now, Garfield, don't you think this conversation can wait? I just want to enjoy this dinner with-"

"Don't you dare talk to me like I'm a child." I snapped, my anger suddenly rising. I couldn't stop this argument even if I wanted to. The feelings of neglect were finally starting to bubble its way to the top, bubbling over until I couldn't stop it anymore.

"I'm not trying to talk down upon you." He said coldly, sitting back into his chair, forgetting all about the drink.

"Then talk to me like I'm your boyfriend for once!" I said, not even noticing that my voice was beginning to raise.

"What are you talking about? Of course I talk to you like we're in a relationship, or else we wouldn't be here right now." He said with anger evident on his features. It was the first time I saw Mr. Grayson give off any emotion like this, and I can't say I was thrilled to see it. But somehow, his frustration only fueled mine, and the things I have been feeling for the past month suddenly came flowing out of my mouth.

"Then why don't I know anything about you?" I growled. I watch as his anger slowly turn to shock again, as he pressed his lips together tightly. "I tell you everything about me because I want us to work. Do you know how hard it is for me to tell people about my past? I tell you this because I trust and respect you. But you hardly tell me anything about yourself!" He was silent, and it didn't look like he was gong to argue on that. I crossed my arms, a deep frown on my face.

"So that's it, huh? You're just going to keep your whole life a secret from me, right? We're just going to pretend that everything is fine when it's not?"

"Garfield," He hissed, his voice growing threatening. "you're making a scene." It was just then that I noticed the many pairs of eye looking at us. The surrounding tables all looked at us with confused expressions, and even the ensemble stopped playing to see what the commotion was about. On the side was the waitress, holding around plates of food with an awkward expression on her face.

"We agreed that to make this relationship work we wouldn't keep secrets, remember? I guess this doesn't really matter to you." I said quietly enough for only he to hear it, and hear it clearly. With those final words I stood up , the chair almost toppling behind me. I gave Mr. Grayson one last glare before marching to the doors. I didn't care about the curious and confused stares of the people, or the low murmurs that came after. I didn't care that Mr. Grayson was calling after me. I didn't care that I probably just made a fool out of myself. All I wanted to do was go home, and sleep, and pretend none of this ever happened.

By the time I made it outside, the anger I felt before imminently dissipated, and I was left with guilt. I probably embarrassed him in front of dozens of people he knew, probably ruining his reputation. I knew I had acted out of line, but it was too late to take my words back now. I looked over at the car, which was parked on the curb. I realized he was my only way at getting home, since I hadn't payed attention to the directions we took when getting here.

I sighed, folding my arms as I spotted a bench on the other side of Wayne's. I shivered as a cool breeze blew against me. It was only now that I seemed to remember that it was the middle of November, and the temperature had dropped dramatically since we came. I crossed my arms as I made my way to the bench, sitting down on the edge.

I tried my best to keep warm, but it was pretty much fruitless. Note to self, bring a jacket next time I go out. It only took a few minutes before I noticed a familiar figure making his way towards me. I quickly adverted my faze to the a nearby bush, ignoring the man as he sat on the other side of the bench. We sat in silence before what felt like eternity before he finally spoke.

"You know, I don't know why I keep taking you out to dinner; it never ends well." He mused with a light chuckle. I ignored him, not even acknowledging he had spoke. "You know I want this relationship to work right?" He asked, his voice suddenly turning serious. I scoffed."Don't ever think I don't trust you, because I do. I trust you more than anyone else in this world. I have some secrets...a lot of secrets...that I don't even trust myself to know." He said quietly.

I snaked a glance at him. He had his arms clasped tightly together, laying on his lap. He back was hunched over and his hair covered the majority of his face. I wanted to tell him I already forgave him, but couldn't let myself stop him. Not yet.

"Seeing you walk out of there made me realize how easy it is to lose you, and I never want that to happen." Now, he had my undivided attention, and I slowly uncrossed my arms to look at him. He raised his head so that I could see his face. Now, I could clearly see how sincere he was. His eyes seemed sadden and lost, and his lips were pressed in a thin line. "I'm willing to tell you everything if that means keeping us together."

My breath hitched in my throat, and I felt myself tremor. He turned away again, clasping and unclasping his hands in search of his thought. I could tell he was struggling to get the words out.

"I've told you that my parents died, right? Well after that, I was put into foster care for awhile. About a month after,I was adopted by my father, Bruce Wayne."Somehow that name sounded familiar, but I just couldn't put a face on the name. Mr. Grayson seemed to notice my struggle and quickly added, "he's a billionaire. He own's Wayne enterprise. This is actually his restaurant." As soon as he said this, I instantly began connecting the pieces. Bruce Wayne funded a lot of the superhero training camps, and he owned a lot of successful companies. This explained why Mr. Grayson had so much money.

"Anyways, he adopted me and enrolled me into a superhero school. I didn't have any powers, so you can imagine the stress that put on me. One day, a couple of kids began picking on me because I was powerless. They beat me up pretty bad that day. I told Bruce about it, and he enrolled me in as many martial arts classes he could think of. Day in and day out I would train until I couldn't feel my legs anymore. Even when I would cry because of the pain he wouldn't let me stop. I guess all the hard work payed off, because within a year I was at the top of all my classes."

"The next school year, the same group of kids went to pick on me. The only problem was they hadn't realize that I could now defend myself. The first day after school they chased me into an ally and cornered me. I didn't know what to do so I just fought with everything I had in me," Mr. Grayson closed his eyes, shaking his head. I placed a hand on his shoulder, urging him to continue. He let out a shaky breath, nodding his head slightly. "I don't know what came over me that day. Fight or flight?Adrenaline? Whatever it was, it landed the kids in the hospital almost dead. I had almost killed them."

"After that, I made Bruce transfer me to a new school and I vouched never to fight again. I was able to graduate early and got my teaching degree. I moved here, and then I met you." He looked at me and I could see his eyes watering. "Garfield, I never want to see anyone get hurt again. I especially never want to hurt someone I love." He clasped his hands around mine, giving it a tight squeeze. "If at any time, for any reason, you feel like I have hurt you in any type of way, do not hesitate to break things off with me. I won't be mad, and I promise I will leave you alone."

"Don't say that." I said, shaking my head."I know you would never intentionally hurt me. And what happened that day with those jerks wasn't your fault." He looked away shaking his head. I gently placed my hand on his cheek, directing his attention back towards me. "It wasn't your fault." I say more sternly. He quietly nodded, though I could still see the doubt in his eyes. I leaned forward, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "And I forgive you."

He sniffed, quickly wiping his eyes. He chuckled slightly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Look at me. How unprofessional of your teacher to be getting all emotional like this." I rolled my eyes, pushing him slightly. We both laughed as the hostility between us began to fade. Just then, a cold gust of wind blew by, causing me to immediately wrap my arms around myself. Mr. Grayson noticed this and begain taking off his coat. Before I had time to argue, he wrapped it around my shoulders.

"Won't you get cold?" I asked, though the warmth was much appreciated.

"I'd rather I freeze to death than you. How about we go back inside and finish dinner, hm?" He asked. I smiled, nodding my head.

Together we walked back towards the entrance, hand in hand.

* * *

**Well that was a long chapter**

**Ok, so halfway through writing this, my phone just randomly decides to shut down and half of the original wasn't saved. I feel like this revision is so much worse than the first time! The first time had so much thought put into it, and when it got deleted I just gave up. Sorry you guys were left with this.**

**Omg I'm so excited for next chapter! It's sure to be a real hoot ;) watch for the rating change *hint hint***

**Also, was that review streak from last chapter just a faze? I only got one review for that last chapter guys! It feels like we're on a roller coaster with these! I know you guys probably hate hearing (reading?) about this but, seriously? I'm starting to feel like no one reads this anymore.**

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	16. Chapter 16: Happy Birthday

December had finally rolled along, and today was the last day of school before we would go on winter break. This time of year was always the best time for three reasons. One, winter break. Two, my birthday. Three, Christmas. It was like December was made just for me!

The bell rang, and the students began saying their goodbye's to their friends in the classroom. A few went over to Mr. Grayson to wish him a happy holiday, which he simply brushed off. It took a little longer than usual for the room to file out, but once it did I made a beeline for my teacher's desk.

"I guess I won't have a reason to see you anymore." I say sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. Mr. Grayson looked up, licking his lips slowly and pushing his glasses up his face.

"Never say never, Mr. Logan. You never know...we might bump into each other one day." He replied coolly. I grinned, not because of the possibility of us bumping into each other, but because I knew we would. During the course of the school year, we had managed to mask our conversations so that if anyone were to check the cameras, they wouldn't suspect anything. We were definitely going to take advantage of the break and spend as much time together as humanly possible.

"I hope you have a Merry Christmas," I said as I began walking out the room.

"I'm sure it will be," I heard him mutter with a sly tone to his voice. I shuttered, my cheeks instantly flaring. I walked out of the classroom and towards the parking lot where I was sure Vic was waiting for me. As soon as I got outside, I was instantly hit with the bitter air of winter. I pulled the hat on my head further down so that it would cover my ears, which were already burning from the cold.

Thankfully, Victor's car was parked only a few steps away. I quickly rushed to the vehicle, opening and closing the door behind me. I huffed, thankful the car was warm and I could defrost.

"Well hello to you too," Vic said with a roll of his eye. "What took you so long, man?"

"Oh, you know...just wishing someone a merry Christmas." I chattered, buckling my seat belt. He started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Right..." He drawled out. I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what he was thinking. He still thought I had a thing for Mr. Grayson (I mean I do but still!) and is constantly asking me if I still see him.

"Dude, it's Christmas break! Can you not stress me out with your suspicions?" He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Just be happy that your birthday's next week, or else you would be hearing a lot more out of me." He grinned. I smiled also, immediately getting excited.

"Any special plans?" I said, wiggling my eyebrows. He rolled his eye again, shaking his head.

"Dunno. Don't you have a mystery boyfriend you should be sharing it with?" He said with amusement. I groaned, letting my head fall back on to the seat. Of course he would bring that up, and I honestly didn't know how that was going to work out. On one hand, I wanted to spend my birthday with my friends, on the other I wanted to spend it with Mr. Grayson. And I already knew I couldn't have both.

"Maybe..." I muttered. I saw Vic give me a suspicious look from the corner of my eye. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Hey, don't make that face. It's your decision who you spend you birthday with. We won't care." I glanced over at Vic, who had his eyes steady on the road. For some reason, I knew he was lying

* * *

I set down the bags of goods with a huff. Leave it too me to wait until the last minute to go Christmas shopping. Given, there was still another week until Christmas day, but I wasn't planning on spending Christmas Eve with all the other last minute gift buyer. Plus, with all the gifts I had purchased, it would take about a week to wrap everything up anyways.

The only gift I haven't gotten yet was Mr. Grayson's. In all honesty, I didn't know what to give him. What do I buy a man that can buy anything he wants with a snap of his fingers?I didn't want to seem like a bad boyfriend by not getting him anything (even though he insisted that he didn't need a present). Maybe I can ask Vic or the girls for some advice later on.

Just then my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, and was less than surprised to see that the person occupying my mind was the one calling. Still, a small smile crept onto my face. We hadn't seen each other since school let out, and that was a little over a week ago.

"Hey." I answered, trying to keep from sounding too excited.

"Hello, Garfield. How are you." He replied in his usual cool and collected voice.

"Oh you know...just doing a bit of Christmas shopping."

"I see," He said. I could here the sound of him moving in the background. "I hope that you're finding everything you're looking for." I glanced over to the bags on the bench, a slightly disappointed look on my face.

"Yeah dude, I just have to get a few more things." I lied.

"That's good to hear," He said with an amused tone in his voice. There was a moment of silence, and for a moment I thought we had lost connection. Then, I heard him cough quietly, as if clearing his throat. "I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday." He said finally.

"My birthday isn't until tomorrow, Richard." I chuckled.

"I know, I know. But I won't see you and-"

"We don't have to wait until the day after, you know? I can have half the day with my family and the other half with-"

"No, no. I want you to spend time with your family. Don't put me before them." He interjected. I sighed. I knew t would be fruitless trying to convince him that I could see him tomorrow. He had already made up his mind that he didn't want to come between my family and I. So, we agreed to meet each other the day after my birthday. "Besides, I have something special I want to give to you and it still needs a little preparation." I rolled my eyes.

"Don't go over the top. Just seeing you is enough." I replied. Mr. Grayson laughed on the other end. After a few more minutes of catching up, I hung up the phone. At least I had something to look forward to these next couple of days.

Deciding that I wasn't going to find Mr. Grayson's gift today, I decided t go home. I quickly grabbed my belongings, making my way towards the parking lot. Victor allowed me to borrow his car (an early birthday present he said) so that I wouldn't have to carry everything around on my moped. As I packed my belongings in the trunk, I couldn't help but think tomorrow would be an especially good day.

...

I pulled into the driveway, being extra careful not to get a single scratch on Victor's baby. I hoped out of the car and made my way to the bags of gifts in the trunk. After retrieving everything, I made my way to the front door. The first thing I noticed when I walked inside was that it was completely dark. Warning signs instantly went off in my head. No one said they wouldn't be here, and it wasn't like they would all go somewhere without telling me.

I set down the bags beside the door, closing it slowly. I silently walked into the common room, searching for any sign of life. My instincts were telling me something was seriously wrong, and I prepared myself to morph if it came to it.

"Hello," I called out as I circled around the common room. "If this is some sort of joke dudes, it's not funny." I was only greeted with silence. I tensed as I heard something fall in the kitchen. Swallowing back any fear, I slowly made my way to that department, making sure not to make any noise. I grazed my hand against the wall in search for the light switch. Once I found it, I prepared my self for whatever was about to come.

"Surprise!" Ok, maybe I wasn't prepared for everything. I stumbled back, tripping over my own feet. I landed on my back with a huff, having the air knocked out of me. Almost immediately, a swarm of bodies surrounded me. It took me moment to recognize the concerned faces hovering above me, but once I did, I smile.

'I told y'all it was a bad idea to surprise him." Victor said with a roll of his eye. I saw Raven push, shaking her head in disapproval.

"Oh, Garfield, are you alright? We didn't mean to scare you." Rita said, holding out her hand for me to grab. Once I grabbed it, she hoisted me up with the strength that shouldn't be held with a woman her size. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, chuckling awkwardly.

"What are you all doing here? Did something happen?" I asked, seeing how Steve, Rita, Cliff, and Larry, along with Raven, Victor, and Kori, were all surrounding me with a worried expression on their face.

"Isn't it obvious, friend Garfield?" Kori asked. I gave her a confused expression. Raven sighed beside her, sticking out her hand.

"It's a surprise birthday party, idiot." She groaned. In her hand was a little cone party hat. Still confused, I took the hat. It was at this moment I noticed the balloons and streamers that hang from the ceiling, the presents in the corner, and a large banner that read 'Happy Birthday Gar!'

"You dudes do realize that my birthday is tomorrow, right?" I asked as I slowly placed the cone on my head.

"Yeah...but a certain robot here wanted you to spend your birthday with your mystery boyfriend, so we threw your party today." Larry drawled. My head shot to the direction of Vic, who chuckled nervously.

"Vic!" I yelled incredulously. Before I could strangle him, Cliff stepped between the two of us.

"Hey, come on! Everyone's here, the food looks great, and I'm ready to shake my robot tail feather off! Let's party!" My anger soon deceased as Cliff began dancing, forcing Rita to join in. Kori giggled, grabbed Raven by the hands, and began twirling her around. Victor walked over to the stereo and turned on some pop song, to which he danced to immediately afterwards. I smiled, my anger completely gone. I joined Kori and Raven and danced my heart out.

About an hour passed before everyone was too tired to dance anymore. At this moment of time, everyone took this as an opportunity to grab a quick snack and catch up with one another; all except one. It was during a conversation with Cliff that I noticed Steve standing alone in the corner of the room. He had his arms crossed and a not so happy expression on his face. Now that I thought about it, he hadn't said a word to this whole celebration. I quickly excused myself from the conversation, making my way to my grouchy adoptive father.

"Hey, Steve," I began nervously, walking up to him. He eyed me before looking away. I raised my eyebrow, not knowing what I had done wrong. "What's up?"

"How come you never told us you were in a relationship?" He asked sternly. I pressed my lips together, honestly not expecting the question.

"I...I didn't see a need to." I lied.

"You never held back this kind of information before," He accused, now looking at me. I shifted awkwardly on my feet, looking away. "Do your friends even know who he is?" I shook my head. "Garfield...you're old enough now to make your own decision, but if you're keeping him a secret their must be a reason." He tried to reason softly.

"I know what I'm doing." I snapped, though I instantly regretted it. Steve's gaze grew cold as he unfolded his arms.

"Take it from experience, Gar. Secret relationships never end well. I suggest you drop it now before something bad happens." I looked up at him in shock and disbelief.

"Nothing bad is going to happen, ok? And just because something bad happened to you doesn't mean it'll happen to me." I growled. Steve face stiffened before it fell altogether, shaking his head. I suddenly felt guilty, and looked down at my feet. "You know what, I'm pretty thirst. Are you thirsty?" I said, pointing back to the food table.

"Garfield I-"

"I'm going to get us something to drink." Before he had time to say anything else, I bolted down to the snack table, going unnoticed by everyone else. Once I reached the drink table, I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding in. He was wrong. He didn't know anything about Mr. Grayson. Mr. Grayson would never hurt me.

After a few more hours of dancing, eating, and opening presents, it was time for everyone to leave. I stood at the door, wishing the former members of my team a good night. The last person to exit the room was Steve, who lingered a bit longer than the others. We didn't look at each other, and I nervously crossed my arms, rubbing them. He didn't look at me when he spoke, instead he looked strait ahead.

"Happy Birthday, Gar." He said gruffly before walking away. I frowned, walking back inside the house and closing the door behind me. I let my head hit the door as I slowly sunk to the floor. I sat there for a few minutes, just staring at the ceiling, before taking out my cell phone. Making sure no one was still around, I began dialing an all too familiar number. The phone rang three times before the person picked up.

"Garfield, is everything alright?" Came Mr. Grayson's soothing voice from the other end of the line. I allowed myself smiled, immediately feeling the stress from earlier vanquish.

"Yeah, everything's fine." I said. I heard something resembling a sigh of relief before he answered.

"Do you know what time it is?" I glanced over at the clock; a little past midnight.

"Yeah, yeah. Guess what?" I said with a grin. "We get to spend the whole day together tomorrow after all!"

"How so?" He asked.

"Well...Vic told the patrol that I wanted to spend time with you tomorrow, so they threw me a surprise birthday party today!" I exclaimed. There was a thud and some shuffling in the background, and for a moment I thought that he had somehow hurt himself.

"This changes everything!" He exclaimed in a rush. "I have to start preparing now. I'll see you tomorrow, Garfield!" Then the line went dead. I sighed, tossing the phone away beside me. So much for a pick me up. I stood up, grabbing the bags of gifts that I needed to wrap later.

At least tomorrow was sure to be a good day.

* * *

I scanned myself one more time in the mirror. I didn't know what Mr. Grayson expected me to wear, so I just decided to put on something casual; a basic white tee and ripped blue jeans. It wasn't anything spectacular, but I loved the shirt because it hugged me in the right places. Satisfied with how I looked, I rushed down the stairs to the common room where my friends were waiting.

"Hey, dude," I said, grabbing my jacket off the coat rack. "I'll be back later tonight." They turned away from their movie to look at me.

"Ok, but if you don't come home tonight, we'll know why." Vic said with a sly grin, to which Kori giggled and Raven rolled her eyes. I raised an eyebrow.

"Is there something you guys know that I don't?" I asked. Victor shrugged, turning back to the moving.

"Just go have fun, you crazy kids." He chuckled. I would've argued more if it weren't for the fact that I heard a honk outside. Kori waved, and Raven cracked a ghost of a smile. I shrugged, bidding them a farewell, before heading out the door. Mr. Grayson's car was parked along the curb. I quickly made my way to the vehicle, hopping into the passengers seat before closing it.

"Good afternoon, Garfield." He said, as soon as I got myself settle. I smiled, leaning over the seat and placing a quick kiss on his lips. It felt like forever since I've seen him. He hummed as we pulled apart. "Are you ready?" I nodded my head excitedly as he pulled off the curb and began driving.

The whole day went by in a fantastic blur. First went to a fair on the outskirts of town. I managed to convince Mr. Grayson to ride most of the rides with me, and when we finally road on the Ferris wheel, I swear it was the most passionate and heartfelt kiss I've ever experienced. Afterwards we went out to eat at Wayne's (this time we managed to get through dinner without causing a scene). I managed to get something a little more expensive than the pasta, and I have to admit, it was delicious. He even managed to get the ensemble to play 'happy birthday' for me while I got served cake.

Now, we were heading back to his house. He said he had a special surprise for me there, and that he couldn't wait to show me. I was still nervous to go though, since his would be the first time I've been at his house since the first episode. I knew there was no reason to be scared, but the embarrassment still lingered. We pulled up into his all to familiar driveway.

Mr. Grayson jumped out of the car, walking around the hood, and to the passenger side to open the door for me. I thanked him, grabbing the large stuffed animal he managed to win for me at the fair. He wrapped his arm around my waist, leading me towards the front entrance. I smiled, resting my head on his shoulder as we walked. Nothing had really changed since the last time I was here. The house was still spotless and everything was neatly in place.

"Garfield, could you possibly go to my room so that I can retrieve your gift. It's the first door on your left, can't miss it." He said, pointing up at the spiral stairs. I gave him a confused look, but he simply urged me on by leading me to the staircase. I rolled my eyes, shooting him a harmless glare. He chucked and gave me a short wave before walking away. I walked up the rest of the seemingly endless staircase, and headed left. I opened the first door, and my jaw instantly slacked.

"Woah." I gasped. This room was bigger than my common room and kitchen combined! I hesitantly stepped inside the room, taking it all in. In the center of the room was a large bed with curtains draped above them. The sheets were a snow white, with some red pillows for a pop of color. On the other side of the room were large sliding doors, leading to an open balcony.

I walked over to the dresser that was filled with little knickknacks and pictured. I grabbed one from the back of the stand, examining it closely. A man with steel blue eyes was holding a boy with equally blue eyes. I automatically recognized the man as Bruce Wayne, and in this picture was one of the rare captured moments of him smiling. I assumed the boy he was holding was Mr. Grayson, and smiled.

"I hope you found the room easily." I jumped, spinning around to meet Mr. Grayson leaning against the door. I sighed.

"Dude, you almost gave me a heart attack!" I said, placing the frame back where I found it. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"You might want to be sitting before I give you this." He said, nodding his head over to the bed. I raised an eyebrow, but went over to the bed and sat anyway. He walked in front of me, making sure I couldn't see whatever was behind his back. "Close your eyes."

"Is this some kind of trick?" I joked. He frowned. "Alright, alright, they're closed." I said, closing my eyes. A few seconds later, I felt something press down against my lap.

"Ok, open your eyes." He said. I slowly opened my eyes, looking down at my lap, and gasped.

"No way!" I gasped. I slowly picked up the device, grazing my fingers against the smooth black surface. "How did you-"

"It cost me a fortune, but it was worth it." He said, rubbing his neck. I looked to him, the device, and back, my eyes watering. "You do like it, don't you? I didn't know how you would react to it. I could always get you something el-" Before I could say anything else, I jumped on him, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him close.

"I don't know how you managed to get your hands on a bird-a-rang, but thank you." I whispered. He wrapped his arms around my waist, returning the hug. "I love it."

"There's also one more thing I wish to give you," He said after a few more seconds of embracing each other. I lifted my head so that I could see his face.

"What is it?" I asked. He smiled gently, leaning in closer that our lips were mere millimeters away. "I wish to spoil you," He said, closing the gap, if only for a second. "If you let me." He finished, closing the gap again. A felt a shiver go down my spine as my eyes flutter close. What started out slow and passionate slowly began to grow more heated and needy as tongues were added and moans filled the room.

Mr. Grayson reached for my hands, grazing my arms until they met my finger tips where I still held the gift. He gently took it from my hand, tossing it on the carpet somewhere before continuing to kiss me. I moaned as he began sucking on my neck, snaking his hands underneath my shirt and tugging it upward. I got the gist, helping him lift the shirt above my head before tossing it somewhere. I then grabbed the tie of his shirt as I began walking back towards the bed, making him loom over me as I laid down.

He continued to plant kiss down my abdomen until he reached the buttons of my pants. I looked away as he began unbuttoning and then unzipping it ever so slowly. My face only heated up further when he was done and began rolling the jeans off. My heart quickened as his fingers grazed the thin fabric of my briefs. He looked up at me.

"Are you sure you're ok with this?' He said. I nodded, giving him a small smile. He smiled also before leaning back up and connecting our lips back together. I gasped as I felt cool fingers grasping around my member. He began to stroke me in a synced rhythm.

I grasped onto the bed sheets, feeling the pleasure wash all over me. I moaned as his thumb grazed over the tip. Soon, the stroking went from being slow and and agonizing to fast and sporadic. All the while, he kissed me, causing me not to focus on one thing too hard.

"Rich-I'm gonna...I'm gonna-" I managed to say in between pants.

"It's fine," he muttered between my collarbone as he placed another kiss there. His hands did not cease to move, and I was sure he wanted to torture me in some way. No longer able to hold myself, I released my seed.

My face only preceded to darken as Mr. Grayson examined his now cum smeared hand before licking his index finger ever so slowly. I found my own self licking my lips as he made sure he kept eye contact with me as his tongue ran along the rest of his fingers. Once he was finished, he grinned, making me gulp.

"You taste just how I imagined you to," He purred. I blushed as he came down on me again, connecting our lips for the umpteenth time. I hadn't even noticed that he had began to unbutton his own shirt. Soon, his shirt hang loosely over his shoulders. I pulled the rest of the shirt off and allowed myself to run my hands along his muscled chest. For a moment, I wondered just how he still managed to stay so fit, but that was soon interrupted when Mr. Grayson murmured against my skin.

"Garfield...do you trust me?" He whispered against my ear, nibbling on it slightly. I shuttered.

"Y-yes," I said through a moan.

"Then...would you let me take you?" His voice was masked with lust, and I had a hard time containing my whine. I gripped his shoulders, bringing him closer to me as I nodded against his neck. I felt him smile against my skin, giving me a quick peck on the forehead. He then proceeded to take off the rest of my briefs so that I was stark naked against his bed. He sat up, scanning over my body with a slight gleam in his eyes.

"Your're so beautiful Garfield." He hummed. I blushed, looking away. I wanted to retort something back, but knew it would just come back as a whine. However, I looked back at him as I heard a familiar sound of a zipper being unzipped. I watched almost mesmerized as Mr. Grayson's pants slid down his pants ever so slowly, as if he was just trying to tease me. All to slowly, his pants were completely off, leaving just him in his briefs, and I could easily make out the rather large bulge in it. I felt myself wiggle just under the gaze of it.

Mr. Grayson smirked, as if sensing my distress. He made his way back on top of my, opening my mouth so that he could slip his tongue in my mouth. I moaned, slipping my hands through his raven locks. With one simple command, he made my heart stop and face burn.

"Spread your legs." He demanded. I blushed, obeying. "Tell me if it hurts." He muttered before reconnecting our lips. For a moment, I was wondering just what he was talking about, that is until I felt something enter inside me. I gasped in surprise, holding onto Mr. Grayson tighter. He muttered things of reassurance as he thrusted his index finger back and forth. Pretty soon I got comfortable enough for him to add a second finger.

This time I hissed as he began opening and closing them as if they were a pair of scissors. He apologized and promised it would feel better soon. Of course, I didn't believe him as he entered a third finger, and I had to withhold myself from screaming, although a few tears did manage to slip through. He manage to distract me by kissing me passionately, and after awhile, his finger's became pleasurable. I moaned, not knowing whether it was from the kiss of Mr. Grayson probing me, but all too soon it stopped.

Mr. Grayson pulled out, leaving me feeling empty inside. I gave him a confused look, too which he simply placed a kiss on my forehead. He then reached over me and began digging threw the draws of the bedside table. I blushed as I realize it was a bottle of lube and a condom. He kissed me again, though I could tell he was preparing himself. He slowly opened my legs more, and I swallowed back any fears I had left.

"This might hurt at first," He whispered in his ear as he positioned himself. "But I promise it will feel good. Are you ready?" He asked. I leaned up, connecting our lips together for a simple kiss.

"I trust you," I whispered, laying back down. For emphasis, I even spread my legs out further. He smile warmly at me, kissing me on my nose. I felt something press against my entrance, and I braced myself. The first thrust inside sent me arching my back in pain. Mr. Grayson had to kiss me to keep myself from yelling as he continued to thrust in and out of me. I gripped his back, and I was sure I was gripping him to the point that blood would spill. I tried my best to control myself as Mr. Grayson kissed and muttered words of reassurance.

As promised, the pain faded and I was actually beginning to enjoy it. I couldn't control the needy moans as Mr. Grayson's pace began to quicken, and the fact that he was moaning too didn't help either. I swear, the sound of him moaning and calling my name like that was the most unusual and sexiest thing I ever hear. My fingers was sure to leave marks on his back, but he didn't seem to mind.

At one point in time, I felt him hit something inside me that caused me to arch my back into his chest in pleasure. I swear, I saw Mr. Grayson grinned as he re-positioned himself before slamming into me in that exact same spot, sending my world into a spiral. I screamed his name into the heavens as if he was the only thing keeping me alive. Before I could even comprehend that I was even closed, I cummed, sending the white liquid over both me and Mr. Grayson. He moaned, thrusting one more time before I felt him release himself also.

He placed one final kiss on my lips before pulling out. He moved to the other side of the bed, laying down beside me and slinging his arms around my shoulders. I laid my head on top of his chest, wrapping my own arms around his waste. I felt unimaginably tired, and the beat of his heart only contributed to it. He ran his fingers through my matted hair, humming softly. Slowly, my eyes began to flutter shut.

"Garfield," He said quietly, still rubbing my head. I hummed a reply. He took a moment to answer. "Thank you...for being a part of my life." He whispered.

"yeah..." I muttered. "I love you, too."

* * *

"Good morning, Garfield." My eyes fluttered open, and I was greeted by the smell of food. I sat up in the bed, rubbing my eyes tiredly, though I immediately regretted it. My back ached and my head was pounding. Mr. Grayson walked over to the bed, carrying a tray of food. I immediately felt better after seeing what was on the plate.

"Is that for me?" I said, licking my lips. "I'm starving!" Mr. Grayson chuckled, placing the tray on my lap.

"I bet, you earned it after last night," He mused. I blushed as I took in a spoonful of the grits. He sat down beside me, draping his arms around my shoulders and placing a kiss on my temple. "I must say, you did pretty well for your first time." He mused. I swallowed hard, glaring at him.

"That wasn't my first time," I frowned jokingly. "well...it was with another guy, but I've done it before!"

"Oh, so you can top too? We'll have to test that theory out one day." He cooed. If my blush could get any deeper it certainly did, and I gently pushed him away. Though the possibility was tempting. "Once you finish eating you should wash. I bet you're friends are wandering where you are. You did spend the night, after all."

"Trust me, they won't." I mumbled. Then a sly grin spread across my face as an idea struck me. "I'll take a shower if you take one with me." I said, wiggling my eyebrows.

"Oh, I might just have to take you up on that offer." He grinned, standing up. "I'll go prepare the shower now." He said, walking into the bathroom. I grinned, quickly shoving the rest of the food in my mouth.

After finishing my food, a hot make-out shower, and packing my belongings, it was time for me to go home. By this time it was already nearing the afternoon, and my friends should be up by this time. I bid Mr. Grayson a farewell as I hopped out of the car, grabbing my belongings and gift. I watched as he drove off the driveway, waving to him as he left.

I opened the front door, and was surprised to see the lights were all turned off. I rolled my eyes, turning on the lightswitch.

"I'm back!" I yelled, closing the door. "If this is another surprise, I don't want it!" I joked as I made my way to the center of the common room. There, I spotted a sheet of paper with my name on it. I grabbed it reading it over. It said;_ Dear Gar, went out for pizza. Hope you had a good time last night_. Vic. I groaned, tossing the paper back on the table. Now I would have to wait for them t return.

Deciding to place my things in my room, I headed for the stairs. Once in my room, I placed the large stuffed animal on my bed and held the bird-a-rang close to me. I walked over to my shrine of Robin relics, and placed it on the table next to the figurine my dad gave to me. I stood there for a moment, smiling to myself. That is until, I heard a click.

"Don't move." Came a gruff voice from behind. I froze, raising my hands slowly. "That's it pretty boy, now turn around slowly." I cursed under my breath, doing as I was told. There before me was a large man that was oddly familiar, though I couldn't place my finger on it. But that was the lease of my worries, for he had a gun pointed directly at my head.

'Who are you?" I growled. He smiled, cocking his head to the side.

"Oh, you don't recognize me? Shame, you will soon enough. Now get on your knees!" He yelled, pointing towards the ground. I pressed my lips together, searching for an escape route as I got on my knees. As soon as I was about to shift into something small and run, I felt a sharp prick at the back of my neck, causing me to scream out in pain and grasp my neck.

Another man walked beside the other, wearing a smug grin on his face. I fumbled onto my hands, the world spinning around me. I tried to shift, but wasn't able to concentrate enough to do so. As I felt everything grow black around me, I managed to muster the strength to ask one question.

"What do you want from me?" I asked as I gasped for air. I sunk down to the floor, not being able to keep myself standing. I heard them chuckle as I felt myself begin to fade. I closed my eyes wanting it all to stop.

Just before I lost consciousness, I heard one of them say something that shook me to the core.

"Answers."

* * *

**CLIFF HANGER! MUAHAHAHAHA!**

**Sorry it's been a while. I'm hoping the length of this makes up for it! Also as you can clearly see I'm not the best at writing so if it was hard to understand, I apologize!**

**Also...YOU GUYS I GOT SO MANY REVIEWS THE LAST CHAPTER! I'm pretty sure I never got that many reviews in one sitting before, and I literally almost broke down in tears! I hope we can get the same result this chapter too!**

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	17. Chapter 17: Realization

I jerked awake, taking in a large intake of breath as if I hadn't breathed in ages. A burning cough erupted in my throat, it feeling especially dry for some reason. I reached my hand up to coax it, hoping that a soft rub would somehow soothe the pain. Instead of skin, I was met with the feel of cool metal against my neck.

Panic quickly filled me as I tried to unhook the metal choker from around my neck. I tried to shift into something bigger to do so, but found that I couldn't. Why weren't my powers working? Why couldn't I shift? I dug my claws into the thing, trying desperately to get it off of me, to no avail.

After what felt like an eternity of trying, I gave up. I took this moment to examine my surroundings, just now realizing that I had no clue where I was.

I sat on a small twin sized bed, with white sheets clung against my body. The bed was obviously old; I could tell by the way it creaked with any small movement and the stiffness of the mattress.

I shakily examined the small space surrounding me. The room was pure concrete, resembling a holding cell of some sort. In the corner was a sink and a metal urinal, and on the other side was a wooden chair with cuffs hanging on the arms and legs, and a metal cabinet, sealed with a lock. I shivered, imagining what could be so secret it had to be sealed up. Finally, on the other end of the room, stood a large metal door. A small window was mounted on the top of the door, connecting me to the outside world.

I swung my legs over the bed, planting my feet on the floor. Slowly I stood up, taking a tentative step forward. My legs almost gave out beneath me, but I managed to walk my way to the door where I latched onto the handle for support. I had to stand on my toes to see out the window, but I managed to keep balance long enough to examine what was outside.

From what I could make out, it was a long hallway. Multiple doors of the same fashion I was holding on to, filled the spaced. Another shivered courses down my spine as the thought of others could be held prisoner here too.

I set down, running fingers through my hair. What happened to me? The last thing I remembered was coming home after staying the night with Mr. Grayson.

_Mr. Grayson..._was he even looking for me? Did my friends even notice I was missing? Were the Doom Patrol notified of my disappearance? How long have I been here?

I tried to recall what could've led to me being here. A surprise birthday party...a day with Mr. Grayson...a _night_ with Mr. Grayson (I shook my head, realizing that was the least of my worries at the moment)...I came home and...and…

All the memories suddenly flooded back to me. Two men broke into my room...I think one had a gun. The other shot me with something and I passed out. I tried to remember their faces, but the vision was a blur. What did they want with me? Were they enemies from my past, seeking revenge on the Patrol. When I worked with them I was always getting kidnapped to be used as bait but...no...I had never seen those two before. At least, I was pretty sure I hadn't.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps coming down the hallway. I quickly shuffled my way back to the bed, folding myself back under the covers and turning so that my back was turned against the door. I tried my best to steady my quickening my breath as I closed my eyes and pretend to sleep.

The door swung open before slamming shut again. I held my breath as the heavy footsteps began connecting to the concrete, the sound drawing nearer and nearer to where I laid. I clenched my fist, shutting my eyes tight.

"I know you're awake, freak." A deep voice grunted, kicking the bed roughly. My body reacted before my brain did, and I spun around and lunged at the man. A swift punch to the face was what I intended to do, but the men caught my fist mid-swing. A wicked grin formed across his face as he bent it backwards with enough force to bring me to my knees. Flashbacks of when Adonis held me between him came flooding back, and I feared that the man would shatter my wrist.

I grit my teeth as he pulled further back. Biting my tongue, I held back a scream when it felt like he might just do what he feared. Instead he let go, kicking me in the stomach so that I bent over gasping for air.

"Don't try that with me again, or I might just break something." The man spat. My body shook as I forced myself to sit up, meeting the eyes of my captor. He was tall and muscular, almost too bulk to be a normal person. His bald held was littered with tattoos of a serpent, which slithered down onto his bearded chin. His stare was cold and emotionless, as if he had no means in life but to hurt.

"What do you want from me?" I panted, still trying regain my regular breathing pattern. The man rolled his eyes as if it were obvious. He grabbed me by my hair, dragging me across the floor. I tried to pull away, but his grip was like steel and if I tried to pull away I might as well kiss my scalp goodbye.

He forced me into the wooden chair, strapping its metal cuffs around my arms and legs. Once he had me settled in the chair, he slapped me across the face, sending my whole body reeling to the left. That was sure to bruise.

"You're lucky my boss doesn't want me messing up your face too badly, or else people wouldn't be able to recognize you if I had my way." He drawled, as if that were supposed to be some sort of compliment. "Now, tell me what I want to know!" He demanded, clutching my hair again so that he could force me to look at him.

I grimaced, but I was never known to show weakness. I gathered up as much saliva as I could in my mouth before spitting it out on the man's face. He growled, shoving my head away and wiping the spit off his cheek. I felt almost satisfied with this accomplishment, that is until he pulled out a small device and pressed a button on it.

My body shook as I felt electricity course through my veins. I screamed out in pain as it felt like I was being fried from the inside out. My fingers clawed at the wooden chair, trying to break free, but to no avail. It felt like eternity before the electrocution finally stopped. As soon as it did, my body went limp against the chair, and I struggled to breathe. It was as if my air way closed up, and I was breathing through a small tube. My lungs begged for air.

"Let this be a warning to you. If you answer me, you won't get electrocuted. Understand?" The man deadpanned. I wanted to shoot some smart remark, but decided against it after a much firmer, _more threatening, _repeat of the question. I slowly nodded my head in understandment.

"Good. Now...tell me what you know about Robin."

My head shot up at the mention of the hero's name. Why would I know anything about him? No one has seen Robin in _years._ Maybe they had the wrong guy. I definitely didn't know anything about Robin or where he was.

"I don't know anything-" Another hard punch to the gut set me hurling over again, making me feel sick. The man snarled, cracking his knuckles.

"You'll only make this harder for yourself. All you have to do is tell me where Robin is and I'll let you go." He growled. I felt like throwing up from the constant hits to the stomach. I was sure some of my ribs had been bruised...or worse.

"Like I said, I don't know anything about Robin!" I seethed through gritted teeth. A sound somewhere between a whine and a muffled scream emitted from my mouth as the man kicked me as hard as he could in the shin with his steel-toed boot. I was certain it was shattered.

"I'm going to ask you _one _last time." He growled, grabbing me by the hair and bringing our faces close together. "Where is Robin?"

"No one knows where Robin is. No one has even heard from him in years. What makes you think I would know him?" I seethed, trying to mask my fear.

"How did you get that bird toy?" He demanded. My eyebrows knitted together, trying to recall what he was talking about. Then I remembered the bird-a-rang and that I set it down on my dresser before I was kidnapped.

"My boyfriend gave it to me," I muttered. The man scoffed, letting go of my hair as he began pacing in front of me.

"Boyfriend...eh? How'd he manage to get his hands on a bird-a-ring?" The man quizzed. I pressed my lips together, questions forming in my head. How did he get the oh so sacred bird-a-ring?

"I don't know...he must've auctioned off of it or something..." I muttered quietly, realizing how dumb I sounded when I said it. Had he lied to me?

"Impossible. None of his things are on the market." The man scoffed, "how do you suppose he really got it?"

"I...I don't know." I answered softly. The man snarled, pressing the button on the gadget again. A new wave of electricity surged through me, causing me to shake in my seat. When the rush finally ended, it left me feeling as though I were suffocating and twitching.

As I sat motionless, the man began unhooking the constraints which bound me to the chair. Without anything holding me up, I fell to the ground in a heap. The man chuckled, spitting the word "pathetic" out of his mouth.

"I have a feeling you're going to be here for a long time." The man stated before walking out the room, slamming the door shut behind him with a loud 'click'.

* * *

How long had I been here? I couldn't quite tell. It could have been a few days, a few weeks. Heck, it could've been just a few hours. Being in this room for so long without any light made me lose track of time. Was it Christmas? Has school started back up? Who was looking for me?

I fiddled with my fingers, staring blankly at the ceiling. I had grown accustomed to the uncomfortable bed. It was much better than the ground or chair, which I was so often placed on when I didn't have the answers my captor wanted. No matter how many times I tried to convince him I didn't know anything, he wouldn't listen.

This lead to constant beatings that were placed anywhere but my face. My chest was now a mixture of green, black, and blue. My legs were numb from the many times he had hit them. My arms felt like twigs ready to snap whenever he gripped my arms too hard. He also did in fact break my shin, and he had done nothing to aid it. The most I could do was tie a cloth around it in hopes my broken bones would stay in place. Above all, I was electrocuted for just about anything; not having the answer, not answering immediately, not making eye contact…it was as if he were trying to break me.

A few times another man came into the room to watch. I had recognized him as being the one that tranquilized me from behind. He never said a word, but watched with an amused glint in his eyes as I was beaten. It gave me the creeps.

How much longer will I have to stay here? If I could just get this stupid collar off I could leave, but there wasn't a key in sight. Was anyone looking for me? Did anyone notice I was gone?

I glanced over at the metal cabinet in the corner of the room. It had yet to be opened. I wanted to know what was inside...and yet I feared it. A few times I wanted to try and pry open the lock to see what was inside. Maybe there was something in there that could help me escape. Then again...what if there wasn't? What if it were something that would just cause me more pain in the long run?

My thoughts were interrupted by the unlocking of the door. I held my breath as the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the room. I snuck a glance at the intruder, and was surprised to see my silent captor that usually stood in the corner watching..._alone. _

He didn't even say anything, just pressed the button that sent electricity through my veins. I watched through blurry eyes as the men walked to the corner of the room, pulling out a key. He the proceeded to unlock the cabinet, digging through it, until he found what he was looking for.

He walked up to me, dangling a pair of handcuffs in front of me before shocking me again. I could only watch helplessly as he took one of my hands and locking it to the bedpost, and then the other.

Once the high of being shocked cooled down, I weakly fought against the restraints, desperately trying to unhook my arms. I watched the man's every move as he circled the bed around me. He wasn't as large as my usual captor, but he was taller. He had short blond hair and blue eyes, with the tail of a snake poking out beneath his hairline.

"The boss has noticed that the beatings have not been working on you," the man mused, as if happy that were a fact. He began circling around the bed, a cool smirk inching at his lips, before stopping at the other end where my feet were. "So he's ask me to use a different method." I squirmed as his grin seemed to grow deeper as he looked me up and down.

"I told you I don't know anything." I spat, trying to break through the cuffs again with a bit more strength. The man chuckled, running his fingers along the edge of the mattress as he began walking around to the other side again. He stopped once he stood on the side of my head, where I shot him a cold glare.

"Tell me this…" He said, reaching out and grasping my chin, forcing it up. I fought against his hold, but found it nearly impossible. "Is the boyfriend that gave you the bird toy the same person that left that mark on your neck?" I wanted to shoot something back, but found that nearly impossible with the grip he held around my jaw. My breath hitched as he leaned in close, running his nose along the metal collar, as he sniffed my neck.

I bit back a curse as I felt something hot and wet slide underneath my chin, and across my throat. I struggled against the chains, but that only caused him to squeeze tighter. A whine escaped me as he bit into my throat with enough force to draw blood. I shut my eyes tight, trying not to give him the satisfaction of a scream. But boy, did it hurt.

Finally he let go, releasing his grip around my jaw, and standing up. A large, devious smile had spread across his face as he licked his lips. I wanted to wipe the blood and spit from off my neck, to pretend like that random dude _hadn't _just bit me.

"You taste just how I'd thought," he purred, causing a shiver to course down my spine. I felt small under his gaze, vulnerable. His eyes were examining my whole body, and a new fear was growing inside me. I could handle a few beating, but this man he wanted to...wanted to…

"What do you want from me?" I managed to ask through my fears. I saw his eyes flash with amusement.

"A good time, mostly." He cooed. "But, I'm here mainly to get what we've been asking for." His eyes suddenly grew dark as leaned over the bed, leaning in close so that our faces were mere inches apart. I could clearly smell the alcohol and cigarettes on his breath, with the faint hint of blood; my blood. "Where is Robin?"

I held my tongue as he searched my face for an answer. Why doesn't anyone here understand that I have no clue where Robin is? For all I know, he could be dead! It's not like I've ever met the dude!

"Still not talking, eh?" He grunted, as if he decided I took too long to answer. "I guess we'll have to change that." Before I could even comprehend what was happening, he swung one leg over the side of me, maneuvering his body so that he was hovering above me. I tried to kick him off, but there was only so much I could do with one leg. He easily stopped my kicks, locking my legs between his thighs.

His arms rested on either side of my face, and he crouched dangerously low above me. My breath quickened as I began to panick. I tried harder to break loose of the chains, feeling my own skin ripping from the pressure. The man laughed at seeing me in distressed.

"I want to hear you scream." He hissed in my ear, before biting down on it. I choked back a sob, almost pulling away, but realizing that probably wouldn't be a good idea. His teeth graze down my earlobe, leaving a thick trail of saliva in it wakes.

I shut my eyes as he left sloppy, burning, kisses along my jawline, gripping my jaw again so that my head turned as he moved. My heart was pounding against my chest as he moaned against my skin. I was shaking uncontrollably, clenching and unclenching my toes as he continued to plant his salted kisses on my wounded skin.

"All you have to do is tell me where the boy wonder is and I'll stop." He breathed against my skin, stopping momentarily to look me in the eyes. I felt like breaking down then and there. I didn't know anything.

"Please…" Even my voice sounded vulnerable. It shook and was barely above a whisper. "I don't- I don't…" The man took this moment to crash his lips against mine. My screams were muffled as he slipped his tongue inside my mouth, silencing me. I kicked and pulled against my restraints, but I couldn't break through. Tears stung my eyes he widened my jaw with his hand, deepening the kiss. I felt like I was suffocating, but that was the least of my worries right now.

I felt his other hand glide down the side of my leg until it reached my rear. He grabbed it, giving it a tight squeeze. I gasped, momentarily breaking the kiss as my body involuntarily leaned into his. The man gave a satisfied humph before forcing us into another kiss again, while the his other hand continued kneading my rear. After a few more hard squeezes, his hand finally traced somewhere else.

Sadly, I wished it would've stayed there.

His hand began to crawl up my thighs, forcibly spreading them with his legs. I felt him smirk against my lips as his hands massaged the inside of my thigh. My stomach dropped as the realization dawned on me. His fingers slowly traced upwards until-

"Wait!" I panted, my tears finally leaking through. The man stopped his advances, looking at me expectantly. I bit my lips, trying to keep myself from bursting into tears. "Please, I-I don't know where he is. P-please...stop." I begged.

"One hour." He stated gruffly, giving me a cold-hard stare. "I'm giving you an hour to get yourself together and tell me what I want to know. If you decide against this, I _will _have my way with you."

My body sunk as he got off of me, fixing himself up. I held my breath, not wanting him to change his mind. He sent me one final glance before marching out the room, leaving me tied to the bed.

I let out a shaky breath, and then choked. I felt absolutely helpless. What started off as a few tears rolling down my face turned into a full on sob. I couldn't breathe, no matter how many times I tried to control my breathing.

It was the first time I called out for help.

* * *

I lay motionless in the bed. My breathing was shallow, and I stared blankly at the ceiling, counting the seconds. My hour was almost up.

To say I was afraid would be an understatement. Although my breathing was shallow, my heart was racing. My fingers and toes clenched and unclenched in anticipation. The hairs on my body stood on end, and a stirred nervously around the bed. How could I get out of this one?

I already knew the answer; I couldn't. There was nothing I could do. I didn't have the answers they wanted and I couldn't use my powers. By now I had given up on anyone trying to save me; if someone was they would've been here by now. I wouldn't be fearing for my life.

I shut my eyes as I heard footsteps from the hallway. If it could, my heart was racing faster. I held back my tears, knowing that showing fear was not an option. The door slowly creaked open. I held my breath as the footsteps slowly made their way towards me, stopping just in front of me.

Seconds past, and nothing was said. That was weird, usually somebody would've said something by now; demanding an answer or something. I decided to see what the issue was, opening my eyes a little. I gasped as I watched an arm come down on me before shutting my eyes tight again.

A large clank was sounded, and one of my arms were released from the handcuff; and then the other. My body dropped onto the bed, and I immediately grabbed my wrists, massaging them tenderly.

"Oh my-...are you ok, Garfield?" A pair of strong hands gently helped me sit up, holding me on either side of my shoulders as my body continued to sway. I blinked a few time, looking up at the person who was still a bit blurry to me.

A mixture of green and red filled my vision as I tried to adjust my eye. A black and white mask, spiked back hair….this couldn't be…

"You're-"

"Getting out of here." Was I dreaming. This couldn't be _the _Robin speaking to me right now. This could not be Robin saving me. I held my breath as he gently caressed my chin, moving it from side to side. "Did they do this to you?" He asked softly. I slowly nodded. He looked away, cursing under his breath as he search through his belt**, **pulling out a small gadget. "Hold on, I'm going to get that off of you."

I held my breath as he began messing with the choker around my neck. Not even a minute later, the thing opened, dropping onto the bed. I rubbed my sore neck, feeling as though I haven't touched it in ages. I managed a weak thank you.

He nodded, stuffing the device back into his belt. He then looked back at me, a noticeable scowl on his face as he examined me. I looked away, finding myself blushing. If it weren't for the fact that the two guys could come back any second, I would've been screaming of excitement right now.

"Let's get you home." He stated. I nodded, standing up, but quickly finding myself on the ground. How could I forget that my shin was totally broken? I hissed, latching on to the body part as pain shot through my system.

Before I could say anything, Robin had picked me up off the ground, carrying me bridal style. My blushed darkened as I wrapped my arms around his neck. He quickly made his way out of the room, speeding down the hallways.

He stopped at a corner, peeking over the corner. There were voices, that was clear. Robin slowly backed up, holding onto me tighter. Just as he was about to turn around, there was a large click behind us.

"Heh, told you he would lead him here." A gruff voice said. I glanced up at Robin, who frowned.

"When I say now, I need you to shift to something small and run." He whispered. I slowly nodded, not fully comprehending what was happening. Suddenly, more men surrounded us, blocking us from every angle. I gulped.

"Who are you working for?" He growled, loud enough for everyone to hear. A low chuckle emitted from behind us, as another clicked resounded. I decided to take this moment to peek over Robin's shoulder, and my color instantly drained. It was the man who was going to rape me.

"Why don't you ask your little friend there? He was just about to find out." I whimpered, sinking back into Robin's arms as he held me tighter.

"Leave him out of this." Robin growled.

"I don't think we want to. He makes so many delicious sounds, and it wouldn't be fair if I were the only one to get to hear it. Right, boys?" At this, everyone surrounding us chuckled. My heart stopped.

"It's me you want right? Well I'm here. What are you going to do about it?" Robin snapped. "Now!" I turned into a bird right when he dropped me. He swung his arm backwards, hitting the sick man in the face. After that, everyone began charging.

I quickly flew to the other end of the hallway, hiding behind the corner as Robin fought off what had to be dozens of men twice his size. I watched almost mesmerized as he took down three men at one time with a single kick. But something was wrong...there were too many.

He was becoming suffocated by the many bodies, and I could see he was growing tired. It seemed like more and more men were coming, and for each body he took down, two would come back. I watched horrified as he didn't see someone coming, and the man sent a hard punch to his face, sending him flying to the wall.

Immediately, those surrounding him were on him, locking his arms in place as he struggled to fight back. The two guys I recognized came up, cracking their knuckles. The bigger one was the first to hit, punching him in the gut with enough force to have him reel over. The second guy punched him in the face immediately afterwards. Soon, more people joined them in on the beating.

I clenched my fists, scowling. I had to help. I couldn't just let him get hurt like this, not after he saved me. Ignoring the pain, I shifted into a bull, charging at the mass of men. The one's who saw me coming tried to move out of the way, but no one had time to defend themselves. Once inside the middle of the group, I turned into a gorilla, picking up one of the men and throwing him into a crowd of people before doing that with the rest.

Some of the men began to get scared and run away, leaving only the one's who held Robin. I growled, banging on my chest as I grabbed my sexual assaulter and threw him against the wall. I then punched the others with enough force to knock them out. It wasn't long until I got rid of everyone, catching Robin as he was finally let go.

I shifted back to my human self, quivering over the extra weight, but managed to keep us both up.

"Which way do we go to get out of here?" I asked.

"That way," He pointed. I nodded, shifting into a pterodactyl and placing my talons on his shoulders. He grabbed onto my legs as I began lifting us off of the ground. I quickly sped through the hallways, following the directions he gave me.

He led me to a dead end, where there was a massive hole in the ceiling. I quickly flew up it, relieved when I felt the cool air of a night's breeze brush past my wings. I looked back at the large building as I flew away into a distance, not stopping until we were a good thirty miles away.

I placed Robin on the ground first before landing. I shifted back, exhausted but ok otherwise. I collapsed on the ground, loving how the dew of the grass wet my dirty skin. I felt a hand rub against my back, patting it softly.

"You saved me back there." Robin stated. I could see from the corner of my eyes Robin sit beside me. I shrugged, resting my head on my arms and closing my eyes.

"You saved me. I guess we're even." I answered. A moment of silence passed between us, mostly because Robin realized I was trying to regain my breath. This was honestly crazy. Robin, the Robin, had saved me. My idol was the one to save me from my kidnappers, and in return I saved him. This was a dream come true. "Why did they want me?" I asked.

Seconds passed, which turned into minutes. I slowly opened my eyes, glancing up at Robin. He had an unreadable expression on his face as he looked up at the sky. I furrowed my brows, sitting up.

"Robin?"

"I-I don't know. Coincidence?" He said, obviously lying.

"You said my name." I stated, wrapping my arms around my knees. His head shot towards me, an eyebrow raised underneath his mask.

"Excuse me?"

"When you found me you knew my name, and I didn't tell you." He seemed at loss for words as he stuttered for an explanation. Now that I was really looking at him, I saw something that I hadn't seen before; something familiar.

I studied his face for what felt like hours. He had since stopped stuttering, a look of defeat etched across his face. Before my brain could even comprehend what I was doing, my hands were making their way to his face. He didn't stop me.

I gently placed my hands on either side, caressing his face. I felt his body stiffen at my touch, but he still didn't pull away. My hands shook as I slowly lifted up the corners of his mask. My heart was beating outside my chest as I lifted the mask up his face.

"You lied to me." I growled, throwing the mass on the ground. Mr. Grayson looked away, ashamed. "You-you lied to me!" I yelled.

"I can explain-" He said, reaching out for me. I batted him away, standing up.

"You said you wouldn't keep any secrets from me! You said you told me everything!" I yelled. Mr. Grayson grimaced, standing up also, but keeping his distance.

"Please, Garfield. I was only trying to protect you." He said quietly.

"Is this what you call protecting?" I screamed, signalling to myself. He looked away again, seemingly shrinking. "I can't believe you would keep something like this from me...especially when-when...you knew how I felt about Robin." I felt like crying. I felt like everything was crashing down around me. I crossed my arms, looking away as I pressed my lips together.

"Garfield please…" I felt Mr. Grayson grow closer to me as he placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. "I wanted to tell you...I did. But I couldn't-"

"Was everything you told me a lie?" I asked quietly, still not making eye contact. By the silence, I already knew the answer. I slowly nodded my head, shrugging his hand off of me. "It's over." I whispered.

"Garfield please-" He begged

"All I asked was that we wouldn't keep secrets." I interrupted softly.

"Garfield…" I shook my head again, not having it.

"All I asked was that we wouldn't keep secrets, and you kept the biggest one."

"Garfield, I'm so sorry- if I would've known-"

"It's over." I whispered again.

"Please, Garfield. Don't leave me." I could hear the sincerity, the fear, in his voice, but I wasn't having it. He lied to me. He told me he told me everything. And I believed him. Was I stupid for doing so? That believing this relationship could work. "I'm sorry."

I folded my arms, suddenly feeling cold. I didn't look back at him, I knew if I did I would forgive him. I couldn't though, not after this. He had so many chances.

"I never want to see you again." I stated before shifting into an eagle, flying away as fast as I could. I didn't look back. My heart felt heavy, and if I didn't keep my eyes straight ahead I would probably crash into something. That was probably the best relationship I had in my life, which was nothing but trash now.

The only good thing about turning into the bird, was that it held off the tears.

* * *

**I was gonna write more, but I just decided to leave it there, a lot happened**

**So...yes...no...maybe so? I told y'all its gonna get dark (didn't believe me now did you?)Yeah, they're over, but this isn't the end of the story. Count on at least four more solid chapters. Don't really know if I'll do a sequal because I have other fics to work on.**

**Speaking of fics...check out my story "the real me" if you like this one!**

**I think thats all for right now so...**

**FFKing1140~**

**Heheh, but cliffhangers are fun! And you still probably don't know who the gunmen are. Thanks for reviewing!**

**SuperWG~**

**Hope this helped you out a little! And thanks for recognizing the party!**

**Guest~**

**Your wish is my command :)**


	18. Chapter 18: Confessions

It took me a full day to find my way back home, and to say I was exhausted would be an understatement. I was tired physically and mentally, and only wanted to sleep and pretend like nothing had happened. That I wasn't just kidnapped and tortured.

That I hadn't broken up with Mr. Grayson.

I flew through the window, seeing how it was left open. I inwardly smiled, knowing this was done purposefully. Whenever I went missing the Doom Patrol would leave the window open for me in case I returned. I guess the word spread to my friends.

I shifted back to my normal self, collapsing on the bed. My whole body ache, whether from the bruises or my heart I didn't know.

I let out a shaky breath as I slowly curled myself into a ball. I closed my eyes, hoping a good rest would ease my nerves. I closed my eyes, trying to get my breathing into a slow pattern so that I could sleep. Instead, my body began to shake as tears started forming in my eyes.

I began sobbing. My whole body shook as I cried. The last time I cried like this was when my parents died, and that was years ago. Yet, it felt like the same feeling I had when it happened. I was hurt, confused, lonely, and didn't know how I could live on.

I covered my face with my hands as I began to cry harder. I believed everything Mr. Grayson told me. I told him everything about me. Just the thought about that made me sick to my stomach.

I stumbled out of bed when I felt bile go up my throat. I quickly made my way over to the trashcan beside the door, knocking over a few things onto the floor in the process. Once I finally reached the bin, I let out the foul tasting liquid. My body still wanted to throw up more, but there was nothing left inside of me. I couldn't even remember the last time I had eaten.

I hugged my body as more tears started to escape. It felt like I was burning from the inside out. I could feel my body growing weaker and weaker as I slowly laid down on the carpet. My head was pounding, and it felt like my insides were doing backflips.

Just then, the door swung open. Victor stepped through it, his sonic cannon already up and loaded as he looked around the room.

"Alright, I don't know who you think you are to be sneaking around this house but-" He gasped when he noticed me by the doorway. He immediately dropped his weapon, a look of shock spread across his features. "Gar." He breathed.

"Vic." I whined weakly. It felt like years since I've seen him. The look of worried was spread across his face as he knelt down. He placed his cool metal hand on my forehead, making me sigh with relief. He looked a the keypad on his other arm and frowned.

"I'm taking you to the hospital." He grunted before gently lifting me up. I was too weak and tired to protest. As he sped through the hallways, I struggled to keep my eyes opened. I could see Victor's mouth moving as he occasionally looked down at me, but I had no clue what he was saying

As the bright light from the sun hit my face, suddenly everything went black.

* * *

My eyes fluttered opened, and then immediately closed. Why was it so bright in here? I slowly reopened my eyes, taking in my surroundings. The ceiling was stark white, as well as the walls. A loud continuous beeping sound came from my left. I shifted my head and saw that it was a heart monitor.

I glanced down at the white sheets that covered my torso. My skin contrasted greatly with the sheets. I could feel the IV needles poking at my vein every time I moved my arms. I groaned when I just now seemed to realize my splitting headache.

The door opened, and I quickly closed my eyes. Heavy footsteps sounded across the room as the person made their way towards my bed. I held my breath as I felt whomever it was hover over me.

"I know you're awake. You're ears are red." I cracked my eyes opened to see Victor standing above me, a small grin plastered on his face. I allowed myself to smile also.

"Hey tin head." I answered, before coughing violently. Victor stepped over to the side and picked up a cup on my bedside table. He helped me sit up before giving me the glass of water. I gladly accepted it to wash away the dry throat feeling.

"Man, what happened to you," he asked, pulling up a chair beside me. "I come home to find you beat up and with a fever of a hundred and four. I was really worried when you passed out."

I looked away, pressing my lips together as the memories came flooding back to me.

"Where's the girls?" I asked. There was a moment of silence between us. I kept my eyes steady on the glass on my lap, not daring to meet the eyes of my best friend.

"They went out of town looking for you and will be back in about an hour." Victor said. I nodded.I then felt cool fingers wrap around my shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. I looked up at Victor, who had an almost pleading expression on his face.

"Garfield, you've been gone for nearly a week and when I find you you look like…" he trailed off, looking away for a moment. I bit my lower lip as I felt myself begin to shake. "We spent hours searching for you. We searched the whole city, and when we couldn't find you here, we looked elsewhere. The Doom Patrol was worried sick about you. No one knew where you were-"

""Vic-" I began, only to be cut off.

"The doctor said you had a broken shin, as well as a few fractured ribs. You also had some internal bruising among all the other bruises on your body. You were dehydrated and malnourished. I found you crippled on the floor with a life threatening fever. And I know for a fact that that bite mark on your neck was intentional and meant to break the skin."

I winced as my hand unconsciously rubbed the sore spot on my neck. Victor eyed me wearily before letting go of my shoulder. I looked away, closing my eyes as the memories began to resurface.

"Please, Gar. I know this is probably a bit much for you right now, so let me take away some of the stress. I want to know everything that happened to you." He stated.

"I.." I was at lost for words. There were multiple reasons to why I shouldn't tell him anything. One of the main reasons was because he would probably go berserk and end up getting himself hurt. I let out a shaky breath, turning to face him. "You have to promise you won't get mad." He furrowed his brows, but nodded anyways. "And also...you have to promise to not tell anyone."

"But-"

"Vic I'm begging you. You can't tell anyone about anything I'm about to tell you." I felt overwhelmed, as tears started to form around my eyes.

"Fine, I won't tell anyone." He said, noticing the the tears forming.

"Promise me!" I demanded. He looked taken aback at first, but then sighed.

"I promise I won't tell anyone."

"Not even the girls. And definitely not the patrol." I added. He sighed again, nodding with understanding."

"I promise." He repeated. I nodded also, bringing my knees up to my chest so that I could wrap my arms around my knees. I looked away, summing up the courage to confess everything that had happened. It felt as if what I kept for so long to be kept a secret went down the drain. I glanced over at Victor, who was waiting patiently for me to continue.

"You were right...about everything. I had no business getting myself into this mess." I started, shaking my head. "I had no business getting into a relationship with him."

"With who?" He asked quietly. I closed my eyes, rocking my body slightly as my heart sped up. I pressed my lips together, shutting my eyes.

"Mr. Grayson." I muttered. Only silence filled the air. A few minutes passed and nothing was said. I pressed my lips together to the point I thought they would rip. Why wasn't he saying anything. "Say something…" I whined.

"He did this to you?" Victor said lowly. I shot my head towards him as he stood up. "I'll kill him!" He yelled. I quickly latched onto his arms before he could storm away. "He's dead meat. I swear, he doesn't know who he's messing with."

I tugged him back, even though he was much stronger than me, especially when my bodies so weak.

"Please, Vic. You said you wouldn't get mad!" I yelled, straining my voice to be heard over his own booming voice. He stopped, turning his head so that he was facing me. His expression instantly softened. Slowly he sat back down, crossing his arms. "He didn't do...this." I finally said after the atmosphere was lifted slightly.

"How long has this been going on?" He demanded quietly, as if not wanting to explode again. I nervously rubbed my wrists, which were still scabbed and bruised.

"I don't know...a few months maybe?" I shook my head, wiping away a few tears. "I was so stupid, Vic. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Tell me everything that happened." I nodded my head, shutting my eyes.

"I guess what really started off the relationship was when he offered me half a million dollars…" I explained how the first dinner we had was a total disaster and how I ran away. I told him that on his birthday we went to the arcade and I kissed him.

I told him of all the times we hung out together in secret. I even told him about when Mr. Grayson came to our home and I burnt the pizza. I explained how Roy had attacked me and stolen my phone and Mr. Grayson saved me, and how that was when we confessed our feelings for each other.

I elaborated on how we both knew what we were doing was dangerous and could put someone in prison, but we decided to keep secrets anyway. He told me how he was filthy rich because of his father (which now I was starting doubt was true). I explained that that was our first real fight, and he told me a backstory that wasn't even true.

"On my birthday he gave me a bird-a-rang because he knew how much I liked Robin and we...uh…" Victor nodded as he caught my drift with a slight frown. I blushed. "Anyways, when he took me home I went up to my room to put my gift on my stand...that was when I was attacked by two men."

I closed my eyes, the memories completely resurfacing. I wiped away a few fallen tears

"I woke up in a holding cell on a bed. I had on some type of collar that took away my powers. A little while later one of the guys who kidnapped me came into the room. He...beat me up pretty bad, demanding I tell him where Robin is."

"Why would you know who he is?" Victor asked, confusion evident on his face.

"I'm getting to that." I said, taking in a deep breath. "I tried to explain that I had no clue what he was talking about, but that only lead to more beatings and electrocutions. Days went by and I still had no answers for him." I let out a ragged breath before continuing.

"One day another guy came in. At first he didn't ask for anything. He just electrocuted me. Then...he brought out a pair of handcuffs and cuffed me to the bed." I closed my eyes, and felt Victor's cold fingers wrap around my own. "He...forced me to kiss him. Bit my neck, touched my body. I tried to fight back...I did but…"

By now the tears were falling freely. I covered my face with my other hand, ashamed of myself. I should've fought back harder. It shouldn't have ever went that far.

"Gar...did he-" Victor asked quietly, his own voice wavering. I shook my head furiously.

"No he didn't...I begged him to stop. He said he'd give me an hour before he'd be back...and that's when he'd have his way with me." I swallowed the incoming bile. Victor squeezed my hand, but I didn't dare look at him. I didn't want to see the disgust on his face.

"I don't ever think I've been that scared before in my life. I dreaded for that hour to end. When it finally had...it wasn't the man who came into the room. It was Robin. It was freaking Robin!" I yelled hysterically, with fake amusement evident in my voice. "This should be a dream come true, right? I mean, he was my idol and everything, and he was saving me."

I looked at Victor, who had an obvious frown on his face. He stared at me intently.

"But guess what? Life isn't always what it seem, I had to find out the hard way. You know why? Because after Robin and I break out, you know what I found out? My boyfriend, who had supposingly told me everything, forgot to mention that he was Robin!"

I watched as Victor's mouth slacked open in shock. I sadly nodded my head as more tears began to flow. I covered my face with both my hands and began sobbing uncontrollably.

Almost instantly, I felt two strong metal arms wrap around me, bringing me in close. I rested my head on his hard chest as tears continued to fall from my face.

"I-I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I-I didn't want to leave him, but I had to!" I cried.

"You did the right thing." He reassured.

"Then why don't I feel right? I still...I still…" I trailed off, sniffling. I still loved him, and I knew he never intentionally meant to hurt me. But he kept a secret from me. A secret that was big enough to put me in harms way. He lied about his whole life to me, when he said he trusted me with his life.

"Gar. You made the right decision. Things happen for a reason. If he does something that puts you in harm's way, then you shouldn't be in that kind of relationship."

I sniffled again, nodding.

"You swear you won't tell anyone this. Any of it?"

"Hey, I already promised." He joked, nudging me slightly. I smiled, letting go to wipe my eyes off. "But what are you going to tell the others?" I wrinkled my eyebrows, pressing my lips together.

"I'll just tell them it was someone looking for information on the patrol. I'll say I was blindfolded so I didn't know who kidnapped me." Victor nodded.

"Are you sure you're making the best decision." He asked. I nodded, though on the inside my mind was screaming that I was making the wrong choice.

* * *

It wasn't fun explaining to everyone else what had happened; especially since I was lying about it. Rita bursted out crying, Steve stormed out of the room in rage, with Cliff and Larry following him to calm him down. Kori had looked like she wanted to cry, but comforted Rita instead. Raven offered me comforting words, to which I payed little attention to. My main focus was on Victor.

He stood in the corner, his broad arms crossed against his chest. He wore an obvious frown as he avoided eye contact with everyone in the room. I knew he hated this; the idea of lying to protect Mr. Grayson. Even if he would never say it out loud, he was furious for what he did to me. If I hadn't made him promise not to, he would have probably been out looking for Mr. Grayson right now.

I sighed, flipping over in the bed. I had been bedridden in this hospital for almost a week. I was sick at looking at all the white, sick of the constant beeping, and sick of thinking about Mr. Grayson. I couldn't stop thinking about the look of fear and regret that was on his face as I broke up with him. I couldn't stop thinking about how he was Robin. I couldn't stop thinking about how he had lied to my face for so long.

Only when I was left alone in the room did I allow myself to cry. I knew I shouldn't be wasting my tears over him, but I couldn't help him. He hurt me in a way that I never felt before. His betrayal brought me more pain than all the beatings in the world.

Yet I still wondered...where was he now?

A knock at my door brought me out of my train of thought. I shifted on my bed so that I was in an upright position before clearing my throat.

"Come in." I called. The door slowly opened, and out poked a head of fiery red hair.

"Friend Garfield, are you still down in the dumps?" Kori asked innocently. I smiled softly, nodding for her to come in. The door opened fully, revealing Victor and Raven following behind her. All of them had their hands tucked behind their back.

"Uh...what's the occasion dudes?" I asked, cocking my head to the side.

"It had come to our understanding that you had not celebrated the Christmas Day with us, correct?" Kori asked.

"Yeah?" I answered, not quite understanding where she was coming from.

"Surprise!" All three of them cheered as they placed colorfully wrapped boxes on the edge of my bed. My eyes widened in surprise. I was at lost for words.

"I'm sorry this happened to you. I know I give you a lot of crap, but I hate seeing you like this." Raven said.

"Yeah, sad doesn't look good on you." Victor agreed.

"I...thank you." I choked, picking up one of the many gifts. "I don't know what to say."

"Well you can start off by join us in some Christmas carols!" Victor cheered. I laughed as Victor began singing an off tuned version of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. Kori joined in, as well as Raven monotonously following along.

As I opened the presents, I forgot about Mr. Grayson.

* * *

**Ok, guys, first of all can we just talk about the reviews on this story? I didn't expect it to get this high! I literally woke up screaming this morning, so thank you all very much! I hope we can keep this streak going a reach 100!**

**So this chapters pretty short, but also very emotional (which sucked to write) but it's worth it! Be prepared for some heartbreak pretty soon! **

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	19. Chapter 19: Back to School

"Need help?" Victor asked as he noticed me trying to get out of the car. I shrugged, growling when I was sent toppling backwards after losing balance.

Victor chuckled, offering me his hand. I grinned, latching onto him as he gently helped me up. He handed me my crutches before grabbing my back packs and books.

"You don't have to carry those." I muttered as I adjusted myself to the crutches. "I'm not completely helpless."

"What kind of friend would I be if I just let you carry around a bunch of heavy books while you're hurt?"

"Uh...a normal one?" Victor chuckled shaking his head. He closed the car door, locking it with his keys.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? The doctor gave you another week." Victor asked. I sighed, shrugging again.

"Do I have a choice? I already missed the first week of school." I mumbled, beginning to make my way to the front entrance. Victor followed close beside me, making sure to give whoever was giving me an odd stare a glare back.

"I know that but what about..._him_?" Victor whispered. I paused for a second, furrowing my brows.

"We broke up. He has no part in my life anymore. I'm just here to learn and leave." I answered curtly. Victor sucked in his teeth, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but you don't mean that." I rolled my eyes as I began to move faster. Victor marched in front of me, stopping me in my track.

"I have to get to class." I growled.

"Gar, come on, look at you. You're not ready to come back to school. You're still hurt, people are going to ask questions, and you're going to have to see _him _everyday." He said lowly before sighing. "It's ok to miss him. It's ok that you're still in love with him. I know you don't want to think that but I know you. You seeing him is just going to make things worse."

I pressed my lips together, looking away. People were giving us odd stares as they passed, but I didn't pay them much attention.

"I'm fine Vic, really. I just want to get this over with and get on with my life. The sooner I see him, the sooner I'll forget him."

"You say that but you know it's not true." I growled, shooting my head towards him.

"I'm fine! I don't care about him anymore!" I snapped. "If Mr. Gra-" I quickly lowered my voice so that only the two of us could hear. "If Mr. Grayson really was sorry he would've apologized by now. So yes, I'm over him and I have moved on. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to class."

With that final say so, I pushed my was passed Victor. I moved as fast as the crutches would allow me. As I made my way to the entrance, I heard Victor call after me.

"So do you want me to drop off your stuff to your class or…" I rolled my eyes as I continued walking.

As I entered the school building, I noticed that nothing had changed much. It was just how I remembered it. Students were still flying above the ceiling showing off their powers, teens were making out, some kid was getting bullied, and teachers were desperately trying to keep things in order, to no avail.

Everything was exactly the same besides the fact that the atmosphere felt a lot denser. I shuffled uneasily as I received a few odd stares from some of the students. It felt as if the who main hall had gone quiets upon my entering. Boy, I wish I hadn't ditched Victor.

I managed a weak smile as I slowly made my way toward the next hallway. Hopefully it wouldn't be as crowded. As I walked by, people turned to look at me, and then quickly turned away to begin whispering to those around them. It made my stomach turn knowing they were talking about me.

"Hey Gar, wait up!" I paused for a moment, but not instantly recognizing the voice, continued my crutch tony classroom. I felt someone place their hand on my shoulder, stopping me.

"What do you want?" I snapped, turning to meet my offender. To my surprise, it was Roy. He wore an all to friendly smile, as he let go of my shoulder.

"Where have been? You look awful." He asked. I scoffed, rolling my eyes. I turned and began to walk in the other direction, only to be stopped again. "Alright, stupid comment. I guess I should ask what happened to you."

"It doesn't matter." I mumbled, glaring at him. Still, Roy's smile had not falter.

"Do you need help getting to class?" He asked. I eyed him suspiciously.

"I think I'll be fine, thanks." I snapped. As I began walking away again, Roy followed close beside me. I gave him a warning glare, but apparently he did not get the memo.

"Have you heard Mr. Grayson left?" I paused.

"Left?" I repeated.

"Yeah, he quit before school started back up. At least that's what the school is telling us. It's really weird that he just gave up on us like that." Roy said, shrugging. I pressed my lips together.

"Why are you telling me this?" I grunted, trying to stop the wavering in my voice. All of the sudden I felt sick. Roy shrugged again as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I just assumed that you would know...being his pet and everything-"

"I was never his pet." I snapped. Roy's smile wavered for a second before the grin returned.

"I'm surprised none of your friends told you about this." I looked away, shrugging.

"Who's the new teacher?" I asked, changing the subject.

"For right now, it's Mr. Wilson, since no one else is qualified to teach the subject. I hope they find a new teacher soon because that dude is seriously worse than Mr. Grayson." Roy said with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying to sound like I was joking with him, but failing. "Listen, I really need to get to class. I'll see you later, ok?" I said. Before he even had time to respond, I sped down the hallway as fast as my crutches would allow me and headed towards the nearest bathroom. I should feel happy that I would not have to worry about Mr. Grayson...so why did I feel like someone just punched me in the gut?

* * *

By the end of first period, I was sick of telling people that I had fallen out of a tree and ended up in the hospital for a week. It wasn't only the students harassing me, but the teacher's too! It also didn't help that a bunch of total strangers who have never talked to me before wanted to sign my cast.

I met Victor outside my classroom, who was supposed to help me carry my belongings to my final class. Victor wore a large smile on his face, but that did nothing to stop the scowl on mine.

"Why didn't you tell me Mr. Grayson quit?" I snapped. Victor gave me a puzzled look as he grabbed my backpack.

"He quit?" He asked. I furiously nodded. Now was not the time to play dumb. I followed him out of the classroom as we walked in the crowded hallway together. "Honestly Gar, I didn't pay attention to him or go by his classroom or anything because if I did I would end up killing him." I rolled my eyes. "But that's a good thing right?"

"It would be if Mr. Wilson didn't take his place." I mumbled.

"Mr. Wilson?" He asked incredulously. "Listen man, I hate that guy and I haven't even met him. Just be careful around him." I turned my head towards him so fast I could've gotten whiplash, and growled slightly.

"I don't go around crushing on every teacher I get, Vic." I snapped. Victor's face slowly turned into regret as he realized what he had said and began apologizing.

"You know I didn't mean that-"

"Whatever." I scoffed. "This is my class." I said, stopping in the hallway. I grabbed my things from him, and without another word, walked into the classroom. I took my usual seat in the back of the classroom, crossing my arms.

The bell rang, and not a second later, a tall man white white hair walked into the room. He wore an eyepatch over his right eye, and his left eye was sky blue. He had an almost demeaning look in his walk, as if he were on a pedestal and everyone else were merely ants.

He obviously exercised. His built was much more muscular than the average male, and I wandered what he would be doing wanting to teach. He turned and faced the front of the classroom, and I could see him making eye contact with everyone in the room. When he landed on me, he smiled.

"Ah, Mr. Logan, we've been waiting for your return." He said cooly. His voice was deep and eerie, and it sent shivers down my spine. Suddenly, I could feel the whole room's eyes on me, as murmurs began to erupt. "Do tell us what has kept you suspended for so long."

"I...uh...fell out of a tree?" I stuttered. The room exploded with laughter, and I felt my face heat up. Mr. Wilson shook his head.

"A jokester I see. I look forward to see what that will get you at the end of the semester." Mr. Wilson said, giving me a cold glare. I sunk deeper in my chair as his cold eye finally left mine and he walked towards his desk. "Now, open your textbooks to page 265 and begin taking notes."

I sighed as I reached under my desk. Mr. Grayson had never made us use the textbook.

* * *

I week had passed, and my return has been a thing of the pass. I only needed one crutch to get around now, with little help from my friends. School became something that a dreaded; there was nothing to look forward to.

Everyday it was come to school, take notes with an occasional test, and then leave. It felt as if the months before had just been a figment of my imagination, because outside of being with Mr. Grayson, nothing had changed.

After many apologies from Victor, I had forgiven him about his comment. I don't know if I overreacted, but what he said actually hurt. The last thing I needed was for everyone to think that I sleep with all the teacher's.

The bell rang and I was finally dismissed from class. Mr. Wilson required me to go to tutoring with Roy because he had "the best grades he had ever seen from a student", much to my displeasure. Roy was overly cocky and thought he knew it on.

I left the classroom and prepared my long trek to the school's library. Hopefully, this session would not take that long, since I was pretty much caught up with the rest of the class.

"Hey Gar, wait up!" I groaned as I stopped. Roy came running up beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I actually have to go grab something for another teacher. If you want, we can talk about the lesson on the way. It won't take long." He panted. I gave him an odd look, but nodded. I followed him down the hallway, and we talked about what it took to stay in disguise during a mission.

"...so basically if you don't want to get caught, always have your A game up." I nodded as I made a mental note.

"Is that all I need to know?" I asked.

"Yeah...and one more thing-"

As we turned another corner, a door flew open, nearly whacking me in the face. As I jumped back out of the way, Roy suddenly pushed me, sending me flying into the room. I hit the concrete with a loud thud as the door slammed shut, enclosing me with darkness. The lights suddenly turned on, and the color from my face instantly drained.

"Missed me, babe?" Adonis asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Roy stood beside him in front of the door, a sly grin plastered on his face.

"What's going on?" I snapped, as I slowly sat up, wincing as a shot of pain coursed through my body. Roy and Adonis exchanged wicked glances. The two switched places so that Adonis was now in front of the door.

Roy slowly made his way towards me, squatting down so that he was at eye-level with me. He wrapped his fist around the collar of my shirt, forcing our faces dangerously close together. I could feel his hot breath trickle along my neck as his mouth grazed inches away from my collarbone up to my ear.

"I know what you have been doing with Mr. Grayson...and I have proof." He whispered in my ear. My heart instantly stopped, and I felt the world spin around me. Roy pushed me back, standing up and brushing his hands on his thighs. "And we have a proposition for you."

* * *

**Hey guys, been awhile! My schedule has been honestly crazy and its becoming hard to find time to write. Sorry that this chapter is so short! **

**Hopefully the surprise chapter I have next will make up for it. Also, if it seems a bit rush that is because it is. Today was honestly the only free day I'm going to have for awhile so I wanted to get this posted.**

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	20. Chapter 20: A short background

I'm not a bad person, believe it or not. In fact, I'm probably the nicest person one could ever meet; which was the reason why I never got anything I wanted. Let's get one thing straight, I'm not the bad guy here. If anything, I'm the victim. I guess I should explain myself.

It all started on the first day of school. My day had been going smoothly, a bit boring and repetitive, but smoothly nonetheless. Everything was going fine until my last period. I had signed up for superhero anatomy, not really knowing what the class was about and who was teaching it. When I entered the class, I noticed my close friend, Garth, was there. I took a seat beside him near the back of the classroom. We chatted idly about our summer as my other peers yelled across the classroom. The new teacher had yet to have shown up. From the corner of my eyes, I saw Garfield Logan walk into the room and take a seat at the far end.

I never had a problem with Garfield, in fact, I respected him. He never caused anyone any problems, and he was always willing to help others out. He and his friends were widely known around the school; they were the epitome of what a group of friends should look like. Yes, I respected Garfield, and I was sure he didn't have a problem with me, although we rarely talked in the past few years.

The bell rang and everyone took a seat in their desks, quieting down. A few minutes passed before the doors opened again. Walking through the doors was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. Strong yet lean build, neatly trimmed black hair, strong jaw line, and mesmerizing dark blue eyes; the whole package. From the moment I saw him, I wanted him to be mine, and only mine.

Yet, it didn't take long for me to realize, like everything else I wanted, I couldn't have it. I should've noticed since the first day of school that he had become attracted to someone else. It was obvious. The way his gaze had lingered on him a little longer than anyone else's, or how he was so quick to defend him. My love had fallen for Garfield Logan.

I hated Garfield! He had a perfect life. The perfect family, perfect friends, and now, the perfect man. Why couldn't that be me? I had none of that! What had Garfield done to deserve this devotion? I deserve everything he had!

Something inside of me that day snapped, and I was not the same. I swore that I would make my love mine, no matter what the cost. So I watched them. They thought they were being sly, using the excuse of grading papers to see one another every day. I knew better. I knew what they were doing, and I was not going to tolerate it.

Things began to fall into place when I discovered Adonis's attraction towards Garfield. Why hadn't I noticed before? Poor Adonis, he had loss his love also. After my love had successfully defeated Adonis and lead the weak and crimpled Garfield back to his classroom, I made a preposition to Adonis. I promised that with his help, we can both get out lovers back. Adonis seemed pleased by this, and agreed to be my partner. Why, with his strength and my intelligence, how could we fail?

So we watched. It disgusted me how we had to watch until their attraction towards each other began to blossom. No one should ever have to watch their love fall for another. Finally, the moment to strike came. I had convinced Wally West, a boy with super speed to steal Garfield's phone. Nothing a little bribery can't do. The messages the two shared were priceless. The plan was simple; blackmail Garfield into leaving my love for Adonis or else they both get exposed for their wrongdoings.

What I did not expect was for Garfield to fight back. He managed to knock the phone out of my hand, and it was a battle to see who would get it first. But then suddenly everything went black, and I woke up in the nurse's office. For a few days, I had no clue what had happened, but I knew I had forgotten something important. It wasn't until Adonis walked up to me one day and asked me if we were still going along with the plan.

At first I was devastated that my love would do something to hurt me, then I remembered Garfield had plagued his mind. Now I was mad. How dare he! How dare he walk around with my love on a string? Now, I would show no remorse when bringing them apart. And so, whenever they stayed afterschool with one another, I would secretly film them. Every time they ran off into his car together, or stole a kiss that they thought no one saw, I got it on film.

By winter break, I had accumulated enough evidence that was sure to break them up. By the time school started back up, I would get what I wanted. But something was wrong when the next semester had started. My love was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Garfield. Where could he be? My love! Just when I was closed to getting what I wanted it slipped away from my grasp, just like everything else in my life. This was all Garfield's fault! He ruined my one chance of happiness, and now he's gone forever! He would pay.

About a week later, Garfield returned, broken and bruised, physically and mentally. How perfect! He just made my job so much easier! I offered to help him with his studies to get close to him and gain his trust. Just as he began to trust me, I consulted Adonis and we made our move.

Now, now I have the criminal, the boy who stole my love, cowering beneath me. Oh, how perfect! He doesn't understand what I want, but he soon will. After all, he did take my love from me.

Oh I'm sorry, I haven't formally introduced myself. My name is Roy Harper, and it's time for me to get my revenge.

* * *

**I don't even know what to say at this point. It's been forever since I updated this!**

**I guess the real reason for it is that i've been so busy and stressed that I didn't really enjoy writing anymore. Not this story necessarily, but I just wasnt motivated anymore. But guys...guys! You are all so nice and supportive! Thank you to everyone who asked me if I was ok and encouraged me to keep writing!**

**I know this chapter is short, but I hope it clears up some things. Yeah, Roy's a real wacko.**

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	21. Chapter 21: Deal with the Devils

I froze, and I could feel my mouth go lopsided at the accusation. Roy and Adonis wore smug grins on their faces, knowing that they had me cornered.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." I lied all too obvious. At this, the two goons in front of me burst out in laughter.

"Don't play dumb with us. I told you we have evidence." Roy sneered. "Adonis, show our friend the videos."

"Of course." Adonis smirked, turning around and plugging in a tv. He put in a videotape into the vcr and waited for the static to clear away. I watched in horror as clips of me and Mr. Grayson's interactions rolled by. Some were from us in his classroom, stealing kisses when thought no one had been watching. Others were when we would climb into his car together, and the slight notion of the vehicle didn't ease my mind. Finally, there were clips of Mr. Grayson pulling up to my driveway.

"Y-you followed me to my house?" I yelled in anger and slight embarrassment. Adonis paused the video right when Mr. Grayson and I had shared one of our more intimate kisses in the back of the classroom.

"There's plenty more where that came from." Adonis retorted.

"I always knew you were his little pet." Roy spat.

"Why are you doing this? I thought we were friends." I cried desperately. Roy laughed the kind of laugh that I knew all too well from fighting with the Doom Patrol; a laugh of pure evil and insanity.

I gasped when Roy suddenly grabbed me by the collar of my shirt, lifting me off the ground, and pushing me against the shelf behind me. The sudden motion made my head throb and body scream out in pain.a slight whimper escaped my lips as he pressed me against the shelf, pulling our faces closer together.

"You took my only love away from me." He whispered sinfully. My eyes widen in shock. The pain had now become a distant memory, as surprise took its place.

"What are you talking about?" I growled. He pushed me again, causing me to wheeze out in pain.

"I loved him from the very moment I saw him," he seethed. "But of course...of course perfect Garfield had him. Why did he choose you over me! I should be the one sneaking into his car and spending time together after school! I should be the one who has the happy ending for once! Me!" Roy was breathing heavily by the time he finished his rant.

"Are you crazy? I didn't steal him from you; he never wanted you." I spat, but soon regretted as a punch was thrown at my face, sending him toppling to the ground. There was a loud ringing in my ears, and the floor swayed beneath me. I looked up to see Roy and Adonis yelling at each other but I could hear no sound. I couldn't stay here, I had to escape somehow. I couldn't fight them, I was too weak to take on the both of them. The only thing I could do was comply.

I slowly sat up, clutching my aching cheek. At least the ringing had went away. The two noticed and had ceased their arguing.

"What do you want from me?" I mumbled, grimacing at the motion of my mouth. The two exchanged wicked glances.

"I want him to be mine." Roy stated. I snapped my head towards him.

"I can't make him do anything." I retorted.

"Oh but you will. Imagine what would happen if these tapes went viral. Superhero teacher having an unsolicited relationship with a student; I can just see the headlines now. And poor Mr. Grayson, he'd be hunted like a dog and thrown into prison for being involved with a minor. And you...you can just kiss your superhero degree goodbye. If this gets out no one would want you saving them."

I pressed my lips together as realization suddenly sank in. There was no way out of this. Although I hated to admit it, he was right. Letting the scandal go viral would result in the downfall of the both of us; our reputations would be ruined.

"I haven't even seen him in weeks. I don't know where he is or-" I tried to reason, only to be interrupted.

"You will do as I say or I won't hesitate to release the videos." Roy snapped. "Meet me at Central Park tomorrow at midnight; and Mr. Grayson better be with you."

"And if he's not?" I questioned, although I knew the answer.

"We'll let the public decide." Roy shrugged. "Oh, and one more thing-"

"You have to be mine, and mine only."Adonis interjected, making my heart drop.

"I'm not anyone's property." I spat.

"Oh, you will be mine and you'll learn to love me. You'll learn just exactly what Adonis has to offer." Adonis chided, purring slightly.

"It's your choice, Garfield." Roy concluded, spinning on his heels and opening the door. Adonis followed suit, throwing a wink in my direction before exiting along with Roy.

* * *

I didn't wait for Victor to pick me up from school that day, I didn't want him to ask any questions. Instead, I wandered around the streets in circles, my head buzzing with questions. Mainly how I was going to get out of this mess; even though a small part of me already new the answer.

Eventually, my body began to ache and I needed to rest. By then the sun had already gone down and the streets were empty. I stopped by a bench, resting my clutches beside me. I let out a groan, dropping my head into my my hands. Can I ever get a break? First I'm kidnapped by some wackos, then I end the best relationship I've had in my life, and now I have people trying to ruin my life. I just can't win!

Suddenly, a tear ran down my face. I tried to wipe it away quickly, but more soon began to fall. I covered my face with my hands as the stress began to overwhelm me. What was I supposed to do? There was no way I'd be able to stop them from leaking the videos if I didn't comply, and Mr. Grayson would never agree to the deal if I told him what was happening.

Although a big part of me still hated him for lying to me, I still loved him. I would never want him to be thrown into jail for something that was my fault. Plus, I had no way to contact him. I had long since deleted his number and anything else that had to do with him.I had no idea how he would react if Roy was trying to force him into a relationship. He'd probably just laugh it off like some kind of joke.

And Adonis…

What was I supposed to do about him? I hated his guts, and I couldn't stand the thought of being forced to be his little play thing. But what else was there to do?

Sighing, I got up. I couldn't go home to my friends; they would only ask questions, and I couldn't go to the patrol because they would do the same.

I pulled out my wallet, counting the amount of cash inside. I would be able to buy myself a motel room, nothing nice, but it would do for the night. At least then, I would be able to think things out without being criticized.

The next day passed all too quickly, and I had yet to make a decision. My phone was still blowing up with questions from my friends, but I haven't answered any of them. I looked at my watch again;

11:30. 30 minutes until I gave myself to the devils.

I grabbed my belongings and headed out the door. After a long night of thinking, I decided that I wouldn't get Mr. Grayson involved; it would only cause more trouble. He would never agree to something like this and even if he did, I didn't have a way to contact him. Hopefully they would give me more time to sort things out, but even I knew that was a slim chance.

The park wasn't but a block away, and I got there in no time. I checked my watch again, they would be here any minute now. I stood in the center, shifting uneasily on my crutch. I sighed, closing my eyes and allowing the moonlight to hit my face. These would be my last few moments of freedom.

"You showed up." A cool voice said from behind. I opened my eyes, tensing.

"Did I have a choice?" I growled. The chuckle that followed my question hit the nape of my neck, causing a shiver to go down my spine. Roy circled around me,so that we were meeting face to face. From the corner of my eyes, I saw a glimmer of red, which I could only assume was Adonis. He grabbed me by the arm, as if ensuring that I wouldn't run away.

"Where is he?" Roy snarled, looking around.

"I-"

"We had a deal." He snarled. In one swift motion he pulled out his cell phone.

"Wait!" I yelled, just as he was about to release the videos. His finger hovered above the enter key as he glared at me impatiently. "I wasn't able to contact him. I don't know where to find him and I got rid of any form of communication we had. But give me a week and I promise I'll-"

"The deal was-" Roy interrupted.

"I know, I know!" I swallowed, looking between Roy, who looked unconvinced, and Adonis, who had tightened his grip around me. "In return for giving me a week...I'll be with Adonis...and I'll do whatever you want." I said slowly. It pained me to form that sentence.

"It's not a bad offer Roy." Adonis offered. Roy stared at me intently, as if searching my face for any loopholes. After a few minutes, he sighed and put up his phone.

"One week." He stated, maliciously. "And in exchange for this one week, you will not be able to see or talk to your friends. You are to stay with us from here on out." I paled, already feeling regret.

"Fine." I sneered. Adonis let go of me, and I winced at the sudden release of pressure. Roy studied me for a few more seconds before turning.

"Adonis, come claim your filthy prize." He snapped. I turned to Adonis, who had his arms wide open and a cocky grin on his face. With no other choice, I leaned into his embrace, resting my head on the icy medal. His metallic arms felt unnatural to be wrapped against me, and I couldn't stop the shiver that shook my whole body.

As I wrapped my arms around his medal body, a single tear escaped, running off my cheek and into the dewy ground below.

I have officially given myself to the devils.

* * *

**Duh duh duuhhh!**

**Yeah, I didn't really life how this chapter came out but I hope it was still enjoyable! Next chapter is sure to have a lot more drama and heartbreak, so be prepared!**

**sorry I won't be able to get to respond to reviews. I'm updating this on my phone, which is already complicated enough. But thanks to everyone who encouraged me to keep going, you guys don't know how much that means to me! **

**Also, my friend Saphire Steere has made a bbrob forum for anyone who wants to join. It's good way to make friends and to share ideas and art to all the shippers at there! If you're interested just contact me or her or look it up. I think it's "bbrob teen titans" on the forums page.**

**As always, review!**


	22. Chapter 22: Exposed

"Wake up, we're going to be late." My eyes slowly fluttered open, and I groaned. The bed creaked beneath me as I slowly sat up, rubbing my sore eyes. I heard shuffling in the background and directed my attention towards the noise. In the corner, getting dressed, was a lanky, tall, black haired boy. His back was turned towards me as he began dressing himself with red amour.

Realization suddenly hit me as I looked down on the sheets. A sigh of relief was all I could manage as I noticed that my clothes were still intact underneath the foreign sheets. I stayed silent as I watched Adonis get dressed. Without his armour, he was nothing but a little shrimp.

He finally turned towards me, after finishing putting on his suit. I didn't look away; instead I glared at him as he made his way towards me with a cocky grin on his face.

"It's ok to stare, babe. I know you can't resist Adonis." He said, stopping in front of the bed and flexing his bionic biceps.

"How did I get here?" I demanded.

"Feisty now are we?" Adonis laughed. "I guess your frail little body couldn't handle the hulk of mine and you passed out. No worries though, I like watching you sleep." I resisted the urge to shiver in disgust, and instead gripped at the sheets around me.

"Where are we going?" I asked, trying to keep my temperament to a minimum. I couldn't risk making him angry and having him release the videos.

"On a walk." Adonis stated. "We're running low on groceries since we have an extra person living with us. So get dressed." He then looked me up and down before smiling. "Unless you would like me to dress you."

"I'll pass." I snapped, shifting my weight so that I can get up on the other side of the bed. Instead, I was yanked back by my arm. I grunted as I looked up at Adonis, who was leaning in dangerously close to me.

"Remember you're mine now, greeny, whether you like it or not. But just for your own good, I suggest you like it." Adonis growled.

"I don't love you." I growled, but my voice came out weak and soft. Adonis chuckled, placing a cold metal hand on my cheek.

"Kiss me." He demanded in such a way that didn't leave me with an option. I felt my heart drop into my stomach as I slowly closed my eyes as he leaned forward. Just as I felt this mugginess of his breath on mine, he stopped, causing me to open my eyes. "And kiss me like you mean it."

I slowly nodded my head, as Adonis closed the gap. I grimaced at the touch of his lips on mine. They were cold and thin and moved all to greedily. I barely had the chance to catch my breath before he forced his tongue into the kiss. Flashbacks to when I was kidnapped ranged back in my mind, and a strained whine escaped as I pushed him off of me. I quickly moved to the other side of the bed, nearly toppling off of it. My breathing was heavy and strained as I ran frantic fingers through my hair. My heart felt as if it were pounding outside of my chest.

"I'm sorry…" I gasped, as if I just ran a marathon. I repeated the phrase over and over again until the memory began to fade. Adonis, at one point during my rant, made his way beside me and was now brushing his fingers against my head.

"I understand," He soothed, "Adonis was too much to handle at one time. It's common." If I weren't panicking at the moment I would've laughed. I shook my head, closing my eyes. His fingers left my hair and instead traveled down to my waist. My head shot up towards him as he pulled me closer. "How 'bout we try this again, hm? I promise I'll take it slow."

By this time my frustration had sky-rocketed, and I was about to yell something back when the door suddenly flew open. Roy stormed into the room, a none-too-happy expression on his face.

"I told you to have him ready, can you do anything right?" Roy yelled. Adonis suddenly jumped up, apologizing. "Now the market is going to be crowded by the time we get there!" Roy sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know what, just go by yourself. And you better get everything on the list." Roy demanded. After one final apology, Adonis scurried out the room, leaving Roy and I alone.

I looked away, focusing my attention on my hands instead.

"You brought this on yourself, you know?" Roy finally said after a moment's silence.

"He _chose_ me. And how was I supposed to know you liked him?" I scoffed.

"No, Garfield, I _loved_ him. That's the difference between me and you. You don't know what it means to love." Roy snapped.

"Maybe I don't...but neither do you." I retorted. Roy snorted.

"Garfield, do you hear yourself right now? I watched the two of you, and everything you did. That wasn't love! That was lust. I know the only reason you even stayed with him was because he payed you-"

"That's not tr-" I yelled, snapping my head towards him.

"And now you don't want to be known as teacher's little slut." He finished. By now I was fuming. My hands were curled into a ball, and I was trying my best to not yell out something I might regret. "So tell me, why did Mr. Grayson quit so suddenly? Why can't you contact him?" Roy insisted.

"I told you, we broke up." I growled.

"Why?" He pressed on.

"It's none of your business!" I yelled, surprised by how loud my voice had gotten. Roy grinned, chuckling slightly and shaking his head.

"One week, Garfield, and he better be mine." And with that, he walked out the room, slamming the door close behind him.

* * *

I stared out the window, watching as the various buildings passed. Roy and Adonis sat in the front two seats, chatting idly between each other. I couldn't tell if it was about me or not, I wasn't really listening. Instead I was trying to ignore the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Today was Monday, which meant I had to go to school. The only thing good that came out of this was I had finally gotten rid of my cast and crutches. I wasn't ready for the questioning stares when everyone saw me and Adonis together. I didn't want to face my friends after ignoring them for days. I wasn't ready.

We hopped out of the car, and almost immediately, Adonis slinked an arm around my waist, pulling me close. I had to resist the urge to push him away. As the three of us walked to the entrance of the school, I felt as if I wasn't even there. My feet lead the way but my brain had no control of its movements. Instead, it was focusing on the low murmurs of the peers we walked passed. I wrapped my hands around my stomach, feeling sick.

I took a quick glance at Adonis. His face was turned up into a cheeky smile, as if he had just won a gold medal at the olympics. I could tell he enjoyed the attention; the eyes all of the people wondering how I ended up with him. I turned away just as fast I had looked at him. Instead, my attention focused on Roy, who walked proudly in front of us. His hands were tucked behind his back as his red hair flopped against the wind. He nodded towards those who looked with a small, cocky grin on his face. I had to look away from him too…

Except I wish I hadn't.

From the corner of my eyes I caught them; my friends. Raven and Kori's mouth looked as if they had dropped to the floor. I'm sure Kori had dropped her books once she saw me, for her books were cluttered around my feet. However, probably the worst reaction I got was from Victor. His face was not one of shock, but pure anger. I don't think I ever seen Vic this mad, not even when I accidently put a dent in his car! Suddenly, I wanted to hurry up and get inside the building.

"Yo, Gar, what the hell?" Victor's outburst was loud enough to stop the three of us in trek, as well as gain the attention of the people surrounding us. I could hear his loud footsteps thudding against the pavement as he ran towards us. I quickly looked up at Adonis, afraid. There was no telling what Victor would do.

"Let's go." I begged, shaking Adonis's arm. He smirked, shrugged me off, and turned to meet Victor, who was getting close. I whined, stepping behind Adonis's massive figure as Vic finally reached us. He was seething and panting, while his hands were balled in a tight fist.

"Just what do you think you're doing with him?" He growled, referring to me but his eyes never leaf Adonis's.

"Walking my _boyfriend_ to class." Adonis retorted, making my stomach do flips. "Isn't that right, babe?" He suddenly, grabbed my hand, yanking me forward so that I was beside him. I kept my head down as I felt Victor's attention directed towards me. I felt like passing out, but at Adonis's stern repeat of his question I forced myself to shake my head yes.

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing-" I gasped as Adonis suddenly stumbled back, letting go of my hand. Then Victor grabbed my bicep, pulling me towards him. "But he's coming with me." Adonis growled, grabbing my other arm, pulling me towards him.

"Not in you dreams, _robot_." I winced at Adonis's choice of words. Everyone knew that that was the one word you should never, ever, call Victor.

"I ought to pound your face in right now-"

"Then do it. Adonis is not scared of you-

"You asked for it-" I closed my eyes as I saw Victor's fist raise into the air. However, he was stopped by a calm, distant voice.

"Gentlemen." All heads turned to the direction of Roy, who had walked in front of me, between the two who were about to fight. He placed a hand on both of theirs, gently removing them from my arms. "Don't you think Garfield should decide?" He asked, stepping away.

Victor and Adonis both glared at each other, but thought this was a suitable solution. I looked up at Roy, who had his arms crossed and a know look in his eyes. Then I looked at Adonis, who was still red in the face from all the yelling, but had a cocky grin on his face. Lastly, I looked at Victor, who wore a confusion of hurt, anger, confusion, and doubt. Raven and Kori had found their way behind him, both giving me a hopeful expression.

I bowed my head, clenching my fists. I wished I could just run away from all of this.

"I'm sorry." I whispered, not daring to look at their heartbreaking expressions. I turned on my heels and walked over to Adonis, wrapping my arms around him. I could hear their obvious shocked gasps, even gasps from those who had watched the whole ordeal. I didn't dare looked back as Roy, Adonis, and I began walking towards the building.

"Better luck next time, Robot." Adonis called over his shoulder, before the doors closed behind us.

* * *

The only time I had a break from Adonis and Roy were during class periods I didn't have with them. Even then, one of them was always waiting for me outside of class. I knew rumors were bound to spread around the school, unless they already had.

Now we were on lunch break. I had my tray in my hands, keeping my head down as I walked closely behind Adonis and Roy. It felt as if everyone's eyes were on us, but moreso, me. My whole body was shaking as I passed the many tables. I could hear everyone's conversations grow quieter as we walked passed. Even some of the teachers averted their gaze at the sight of us.

"Friend Garfield!" My head popped up at the call of my name. I stopped, knowing that voice anywhere. I caught Kori, as well as all my other friends, waving her hand excitedly. Raven also motioned for me to join them. Victor, who had had his head down had looked up, offering me a small smile. My feet stayed frozen to the floor as I stared at my friends. "It is us, your friends! Do you not recognize us?"

The last comment made me wince as I clutched my tray tighter. Of course I recognized them; I missed them. But the way they were trying to bring me back after the earlier events made a ghost of a smile itch across my lips. I took a step forward, about to rejoin my friends for our usual lunch break, only to be stopped by a hand on my shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Roy asked, clutching my shoulder tighter. I opened my mouth and then closed it. Where was I going?

"Sorry." I said quietly. He nodded, letting go of my shoulder. He then began to walk away in the other direction. With one final look to my friends, whose faces had dropped, I quickly followed Roy to their table. I took a seat across from Roy and Adonis, giving me a direct view of my friends,

"As I was saying-" Roy began. I tuned him out, directing my attention towards my food. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore. I began to pick at my food, sneaking glances up at my friends across the room. They all chatted idly to each other. At one point Kori laughed and Raven blushed. Victor had began making silly hand motions, making Kori laugh even more. I sighed, feeling utterly abandoned.

Adonis looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. He looked back over his shoulder for a few seconds before turning back. Then an evil grin spread across his face.

"Hey, greeny, how 'bout a little kiss?" Adonis cooed. My eyes widened as I looked back up to my friends. As if by fate, they had directed their attention towards our table.

"Um…" I was searching for a way out. I looked over to Roy, who shrugged.

"Do it or I'll expose you." He threatened. My breath hitched in my throat. I pressed my lips together, looking up one final time. I nodded, earning a satisfying grin from Adonis.

I stood up, leaning over the table. I caressed the metal of Adonis's face, closing my eyes as I leaned in. As my lips pressed against his, I imagined I was kissing someone else. Anyone else's. I imagined I was kissing Mr. Grayson again.

Suddenly, a loud bang echoed around the room, causing it to become quiet. The kiss broke, and I, as well as Adonis turned to see what had caused all the commotion.

"Victor, wait!" It was Kori's voice. I looked at them just in time to see Victor march out of the cafeteria, with Raven and Kori hot on his heels. The silence lasted a few more seconds before the sounds of a cafeteria slowly returned. I stood, staring at where my friends had exited.

The laughter of Roy and Adonis snapped me out of my shock. I shook my head, slowly sitting back down before continuing to pick at my food.

* * *

I gasped as my body was pressed into the wall, his greedy kisses showering my lower jaw and neck. A suppressed moan escaped as I felt his hand palm my crotch, massaging it a little too hard. I gripped his shoulders, resting my head on his broad joint. My fingers found my way into his Raven locks as I placed small kisses on his shoulder. His other hand, which had been on the wall, now found its way to unbuttoning my shirt. However, I froze when I felt his hand grip around my pants zipper, pulling it down.

"W-wait." I said, trying to push him off of me. He stopped, if only for a second, to see what I had to say. "...my body still hurts." I panted. He tsked and rolled his eyes, pushing himself off of me and wiping his mouth. I let out a small sigh of relief as I slowly began buttoning my shirt again.

"That's always your excuse." Adonis sneered. "One day I'm just not going to care." He walked over to the coffee table, opening up the newspaper articles Roy had left this morning.

I turned away, trying to fix myself up the best I could. Adonis was always a lot rougher with me than I was used to. The bruises that still lingered around my hips were proof. I had been living with them for a week, and Adonis made it his duty to take advantage of this every moment he got. I had yet to even attempt to find Mr. Grayson, and even if I wanted to, I would never have a chance. Adonis and Roy kept tags on me wherever I went. Tomorrow was my last day to find him, and I'm no closer to that then from where I started.

"I can't believe this," Adonis suddenly growled, grabbing my attention. I slowly made my way towards him, peering over his shoulder. At the sight, I gasped. "I can't believe this dweeb came out of hiding."

On the front page was a picture of someone unmistakable. Robin stood on the cover, a caption of _He's Back and Ready to Save Lives_ below the photo in bold font. Robin at that moment was holding a woman, who had fallen from a building. He had been the only one there to save her and the press took advantage of this. At the sight of him, I felt my face heat up.

"He's-" I breathed.

"A phony. Probably staged the whole thing." Adonis snorted, crumbling the article. My eyes widened as he tossed the paper into the trash. I wanted to yell, to ask why he would do that, but I knew it would only draw suspicion.

I walked away, back to my designated room. I sat on the bed, shock still evident on my face. He...Mr. Grayson went back to being Robin. Something I knew he would never do willingly. A small smile graced my lips at the thought.

He became Robin again because of me.

* * *

We walked into the cafeteria together, as we did everything now. Roy walked in front of Adonis and I, that same confident swag in his walk as he lead us to our table. I kept my head down as we passed by my friends had stopped trying to talk to me. They had given up, and I could feel myself giving up also.

We sat down at the table, and I immediately started picking at my food. Roy and Adonis engaged in their own meaningless conversation, never once trying to include me in one of them. I sighed, propping head on my hand. I looked up and Adonis tapped his lips. Already understanding the signal, I stood up and leaned across the table. However, I was interrupted by a sudden scream.

All of a sudden, Victor appeared behind Adonis. With little warning he punched him in the face, sending Adonis toppling onto the floor. I gasped, jumping over the table as Victor began continually punching Adonis in the face. I shouted his name above all of the voices who had suddenly surround us.

"You better leave him alone, you hear me?" He yelled, gripping Adonis by his chest and pulling him up. Adonis smirked, exposing his bloody teeth. I backed up, clutching my hair. I suddenly bumped into something.

"Are you alright, Gar?" I turned around, meeting Ravens amethyst eyes. Starfire stood behind her, a worried expression on her face. I bit my lip as it began to quiver. I shook my head, backing away from them, only to bump into another body. Cold fingers grazed around my shoulders.

I looked up to see Roy behind me, a sinister grin on my face. He looked over to Adonis, an almost wild look in his eyes. He pulled out his cell phone, shaking it teasingly.

"I do believe time is up, don't you think?" Roy smiled. Adonis laughed in agreement, earning another punch from Victor. However, my mind was no longer on the two of them. Instead it was on the phone in Roy's hand.

"No...please-" To late. He clicked send, and my heart instantly dropped. Suddenly, the ringers to all the phones of the people surrounding us went off. I watched in pure horror as they pulled out their phones and began watching the videos. I could hear the surprised murmurs as the videos were being watched.

"Is that...Mr. Grayson?"

"I knew something was up with them."

"Garfield is such a whore."

No matter where I looked, someone was watching the videos. I could see ever shocked expression, every group laughing and pointing. My eyes landed on Kori and Raven, who had also pulled out their phones and stared at me with mortified expressions. Then I turned towards Victor, who had stood up and faced me, a sympathetic expression on my face.

I closed my eyes, covering my ears, trying desperately to block out the sounds. No matter what I did, I could still hear the ridiculing accusations against me. Tears spewed out of my eyes, and my breathing quickened. We were exposed. The whole school knew about me and Mr. Grayson. They all knew, and they all judged me.

Suddenly I couldn't breath. I gasped for air, my eyes shooting open. I clutched my chest, feeling as if it were about to collapse on me. Everyone surrounding me became nothing but a blur as the world began to spin. I could feel the sweat drip off my face as I let out a choked sob. I tried to call out for help, but the more I tried to speak, the more air I was losing.

My legs could no longer support me, and I was sent crashing to the ground. I laid on my back, gasping for air, tears streaming down my face. I was sure I was going to die. As darkness began to cloud my vision, I heard a distant voice calling my name.

* * *

**Woah, so a lot happened this chapter. Hoped you enjoyed that panic attack at the end, it was very painful to write.**

**My updating schedule is still not where I would like it to be, but at least it hasn't been a month...right?**

**Also, if anyone's interested, I started a bbrob comic that I posted on deviantART. Its a sugar daddy Au, and Im thinking about making it into a story also. It you wanna read just find me on the site, my name is still Lymaria on there. Also I just wanna point out that I am not the best artist out there so don't have high expectations. **

**And if you haven't already, check out my new story Bonded if you're looking for anything on the more humorous side.**

**AngiMK~**

**I've spent a long trying to decipher what you were trying to say before you (I guess) got caught off, haha! I was stuck between a mystical riddle of some sort or some constructive criticism.**

**Guest~**

**Aw, thanks for the encouragement!**

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	23. Chapter 23: A Change of Opinion

I knew something was going on with Gar; I just never expected this.

I had lost it, I'll admit. It wasn't my intentions to start a fight, but Adonis had it coming. It was obvious that Garfield wasn't happy with whatever relationship he had with him. I could sense it from a mile away. He was scared, that much was obvious. He would never avoid eye contact with me, or the girls, without a reason. The fact that he hadn't been home for a week only raised my suspicious.

But, man, if I would've know that this was the reason for it I wouldn't have acted so irrationally.

All around the cafeteria, I could hear phones going up and an uproar of sneers and laughter. My own phone buzzed in my backpocket. I could hear Adonis laughing maniacally below me, but I ignored him as I pulled out my cell. Slowly standing up, I opened the anonymous message.

My heart stopped as the videos played. Each containing Gar and what was obviously Mr. Grayson sharing intimate moments. There were videos of them going into his car together, of them sharing kisses and sneaking off to the unknown. Suddenly, everything made sense, and a wave of guilt washed over me. I had exposed him.

I could har the lewd comments from my peers around me; mocking and giving vulgar comments about my friend. I felt sick to my stomach knowing I was the cause of it.

I finally made eye contact with Garfield, who looked as pale as a ghost. I could see him start to sway as he closed his eyes and covered his ears. Before I could take a step towards him, he had collapsed on the ground.

"Gar!" I called, pushing passed everyone to get to him. I could hear the laughter of the students as I made my way to him. Once I met him, I quickly slid to the ground and lifted his head up. His eyes were barely open and his breaths came out in short huffs with the occasional wheezing. His was burning up and tears stained his face.

"Friend, Garfield!" I heard Kori cry behind me.

"What's wrong with him?" Came raven's worried voice.

"He's having a panic attack. We need to get him outside, now!" I yelled., turning to meet them. Raven nodded, and in a split second we were surrounded by a dark aura surrounded us before it dispersed, leaving us at the front of the school.

"Gar, listen to me, you're fine. Me, Raven and Kori are here. I just need you to breathe," I eased, trying to regulate his breathing. Through more coaxing, with the aid of Kori, we were able to get Garfield's breathing back to regular, though he had fully passed out during the time. I picked him up, turning to meet the girls.

"I'm taking him home. You guys go back in." I said as I began to walk pass them.

"We're not leaving him alone at a time like this." Raven scolded, marching up behind me. However, I shook my head as I quickened my pace.

"It's my fault this happen, and I'm going to take care of this." I growled.

"You knew?" Raven asked, causing me to stop. I pressed my lips together as it felt like a might explode, or cry, or both. "Victor, be honest. Did you know this was going to happen? Did you know he was sneaking around with Mr. Grayson?" As Raven spoke, her words got louder and louder, something that rarely happened. I clutched Garfield's limp body, keeping my head down. "Answer me, damn it!"

The audible gasp from Kori was understandable. Raven never cursed, and she never yelled. I was too afraid you meet her face to face. I didn't want to see the hurt and betrayal in her usually calm and collected eyes.

"Yes! I knew about Mr. Grayson, okay!" I screamed as my body began to shake.

"Why didn't you tell us! I thought we told each other everything!" Raven yelled back.

"Because it wasn't my business to tell, and Gar made me promise not to! I didn't know this was the reason for him being those two bastards. I didn't know that they had film of them! If I had known...if I had known…" At this point I couldn't control the hurt and angry tears from rolling down my face. I was ashamed of putting Garfield in this situation, ashamed for not picking it up sooner and helping him out of it. He's not only my best friend, but I see him as my brother, and I failed at protecting him when he needed it most.

"Victor, please do not do the crying." Kori said, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "It is not your fault." I shook my head.

"It is my fault." I cried. "I should've known something was wrong the night he didn't come home. I'm a terrible friend."

"As much as it pains me to say this," Raven began, stepping out in front of me. She pulled down her hood, exposing her watery eyes and red face. "Garfield is capable of making his own decisions. It's not just your fault. If he really needed us he would've found a way. Maybe he already had another plan, maybe he didn't, but you can't put all the blame on yourself. Whatever...relationship...he had with that man, it's out now, and there's nothing we can do to take it back. The only thing we can do is be strong for Gar when he can't be for himself."

"And we are his friends, too."" Kori inputted. "Do not feel like you are the only one who cares for him, because Raven and I will always support him, even when we don't know the full story." I sniffed, nodding and letting out a small smile. Kori extended her arms out to me. I hesitantly gave Garfield to her, allowing her to carry him the rest of the way to the car.

As we walked to the parking lot, Raven asked the question I had been hoping she wouldn't.

"Be honest, was Beast Boy ever forced into that relationship with Mr. Grayson?"

"From what he's told me, the relationship was a normal one." I concluded.

"Then why'd they break up?" She asked. I sucked in some air, thinking the question over before sighing.

"I think he should be the one to tell you that." Raven nodded understandingly. A few minutes passed without a word between the two before Raven spoke again.

"Did he…" Raven began hesitantly, throwing back up her hood. "Did he ever love him?"

"I think he still does." I said without a moment's hesitation.

* * *

I sat on the edge of Garfield's bed, twiddling my fingers. A few hours had passed by since the event at the cafeteria. Since then, I had gained a lot of messages about Garfield and how could I be friends with someone like him. It had gotten to the point that I had to shut my phone off.

I told Raven and Kori I would alert them whenever Garfield woke up, but I wanted to be the first he talked to. They didn't question my request and I've been waiting ever since. Thankfully, I wouldn't have to wait much longer.

I could hear Garfield groan as he shifted beneath the covers. I quickly stood up, turning around to meet my friend. He was sitting up with a dazed and confused expression of his face.

"Hey, how do you feel?" I asked, making my way to his side. However, he seemed to have blocked out my question, examining the room with bewilderment.

"Was it all just a dream?" He whispered more to himself than anything. I placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn sharply towards me. His eyes were wide and already beginning to water. "Please tell me it was all a dream." I bit my lip, slowly shaking my head. His shoulders instantly deflated.

"Garfield, I'm sorry. If I could take it all back I would-"

"I can't go back!" He screamed, frantically. "They all know. They'll all ask questions and wonder why Mr. Grayson left! What if they start searching for him?" His words were rapid and stumbling together. "I can't go back there, I just can't!"

"Garfield, calm down before you have another panic attack!" I yelled over him. He stopped, taking in deep breaths. "And you're worrying about Mr. Grayson, what about yourself? You passed out in the middle of the cafeteria and didn't wake up until hours afterwards and the only thing you can think about was Mr. Grayson?" I knew I shouldn't be yelling; he didn't need this right now. But I was letting my emotions getting the best of me.

"Why don't you ever put yourself first? You had no business being with that freak Adonis. You had no business being forced into a relationship with anyone! Why can't you understand that? Why do you insist of protecting someone who broke your heart?" By the end of my rant, I realized the damage I had done. It was too much for him to take in at one time, especially when something as horrifying as being exposed just happened. "Garfield I'm-"

"You know so much about me, huh? You think you really know what I'm going through right now?" He clutched the bedsheets, and I could see his face reddening. "Just get out. Get out of my room! I'm dropping out of school. I'm doing what's best for _me. _I'm tired of people telling me how I should live my life, so just get out!"

"I didn't mean to yell, Gar. Just listen-"

"No! I'm tired of listening to what everyone else has to say. Why cant anyone listen to me for a

change?" He closed his eyes, his body still shaking. "Just, please, get out of my room. I need time to think."

I hesitated before nodding, exiting the room without another word.

* * *

**Not my best chapter, and honestly, it wasn't my plan to add it. But I liked the idea and it was a nice to see victor's side of the story. Expect an emotional rollercoaster next chapter (whenever I decide to update. Hopefully it won't take more than a month like this time. Oops)**

**If you're interested, check out my story, bonded, which will most likely be the story I'll be working on when I finish this one. It's more on the humorous side so it will relieve you in the tears in the future. Also, check out my deviantArt page, lymaria. I'm beginning to post some artwork and it'd be really cool if I got some recognition.**

**SweetieQueenie218~ **

**Haha, I feel bad for him!**

**AngiMK~**

**No problem! Aw, thanks!**

**BBCDP2~**

**Thanks! That means so much to me! Don't worry, everything will be fixed eventually (though I can't promise it will be under the best situation *Wink wink*)**

**Guest~**

**Thank you!**

**As always, please review! I love reading them. and lets try to get it at a hundred by the end of the story!**


	24. Chapter 24: Meeting Again

For the past couple of days, I couldn't find the will to leave my bed, to eat, to socialize; to anything. I felt empty inside, like nothing really mattered anymore. My life was ruined and I didn't know how to deal with it. Of course, I couldn't imagine how anyone would react if put in my situation, which made me think I was over exaggerating the whole ordeal.

I had an amazing relationship with someone I cared about (something I thought would never happen again after my last relationship), who just so happen to be my teacher. It was the first time I believed I could be truly happy: not having to put on a fake smile and keep up the impression of jouviance. Sure, our relationship wasn't steady, but what good relationship ever was? I knew he cared about me, anyone could see it, but he kept a secret. It was bad enough that he was revealed to be my favorite superhero of all time, but I was put in such a dangerous situation that it still haunts me to think about it.

So of course, as much as it pained me, I had to break up with him. That hurt more than anything. I was devastated, it seemed like happiness wasn't an option for me. Knowing my fate, I should've known things would get worse. I should've known that my secret wouldn't stay a secret forever. And now, the whole school know. Or maybe the whole city. The world? I wouldn't know, I've been so disconnected lately.

So yes, I'm empty inside. Yes, life is meaningless. Do I wish I never got into a relationship with him in the first place? Not a chance. I don't regret knowing what true happiness felt like, I know I never told him much, but I don't regret it. And deep down inside, I knew that I had already forgiven him for his mistake.

I sighed, sitting up. I brushed the covers off of me, examining my messy surroundings. Discarded clothes, half eaten foods, and other random objects littered the floor. A faint smile appeared as I spotted a dark object at the edge of my bed. I reached over and grabbed it, flipping it over in my hands.

The bird-a-rang was still as shiny and valuable as it was when I first got it. I threw out just about everything that had to do with Robin, everything except for the gift he gave to me for my birthday. It still warmed my insides whenever I look at it. It makes me think that, maybe at one point, he was going to reveal himself to me. Of course, I would never truly know.

It was a school day, which meant I had the whole house to myself. It was the only time I came out of my room, which was used as a time to go to the bathroom and get something to eat. I set my gift down, standing up and stretching. I walked over to the mirror, examining myself.

Sometimes, I have a hard believing I was looking at myself. If it weren't for the fact that I was unmistakingly green, I don't think anyone else would either. My hair was even more messier than usual, possibly even matted in some place. The color had drained from my face, leaving the large bags under my eyes visible. I was a bit thinner than usual, but nothing too much to be worrying about. I guess this is what I should expect for someone's life that fell apart.

I let out another sigh, throwing on a hoodie over my bare chest. With one final look, I walked out the door. I quickly made my way downstairs, and into the kitchen. The t.v was still blasting in the common room, probably left on by Victor.

Victor.

I feel bad for him, I honestly do. He's the only one who knows my full story, the only one who hasn't labeled me as a whore. He's my best friend, and I know that he's hurting just as much as I am. I know he's trying to understand. I know he wants me to get better. But how could he ever come remotely close to understanding what I'm going through?

I threw my bread in the toaster, crossing my arms. There was too much running through my mind for a person who was supposed to be empty. Shaking my head, I went to the cabinet and grabbed a jar of peanut butter. I tossed into onto the counter near the toaster, grabbing a plate and knife. The toaster dinged, and I quickly went over to get my toast. I slowly began to spread out the butter on my toast, absently listening to the news playing on the t.v.

"_Robin's done it again, folks!"_ Came the newscasters execubrant voice. I slowly put down the food, somewhat interested in what he had to say. I began walking toward the common room, clinging onto every word. "_Just moments ago, Robin saved a group of hostages from a building surrounded with bombs- oh look, here he is now!"_

I entered the common room to see the cameraman and the reporter running to a man clad in red, green, and yellow. I quickly maneuvered my way around the couch, sitting down, and upping the volume. Robin came into full view, a little disheveled, but otherwise wearing a confident smile. It felt like so long since I've seen his face, even masked, it sent shivers down my spine.

"_Robin, may we get a word?" _Ask the reporter.

"_I don't see why not."_ He said, nodding towards the camera.

"_Can you explain what happen here?" _

"_It seems like someone wanted to get my attention. Thankfully, I got everyone out before the bombs detonated. Although I don't know exactly who keeps planning these attacks, I will not rest until I have them behind bars." _After Robin's mini speech, an uproar of applause could be heard from those surrounding the scene. He smiled brightly, turning around to meet the crowd.

"_Remarkable. So tell us this; you've been reportedly missing for the past three years. A lot of people believed that you had given up on the world. Why come back?" _ At this, Robin's expression instantly dropped. He looked down, shuffling a little on his feet.

"_I um...it actually wasn't much my decision." _I leaned in closer, holding onto every word. He cleared his throat, looking around before turning back to the camera. "_I was inspired, actually, by someone...someone very important to me."_

"_A significant other?" _ The reporter urged.

"_Someone very important to me." _He corrected.

"_Where is this person now?" _Robin pressed his lips together, the way I remembered him to do when he didn't want to say something. He looked down as the camera zoomed in closer to his face.

"_I don't know. But wherever he is, he's safe and happy. That's all I can ask for." _Oh the irony of that. But still, I could tell he meant it, which made my heart flutter.

"_What would you say to him now if you had a chance to?" _The reporter asked, shoving the microphone closer to him. Robin nodded, looking straight into the camera. He grabbed the microphone, licking his lips.

"_I would say...I'm sorry...I'm sorry for everything I've done and what I didn't do. If I could go back and time and erase my mistakes, I would. I just hope, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, you're happy._" He looked away, wiping his face. "_I just hope you're happy." _ He nodded, giving the microphone back, before smiling. "_Thank you."_ He said before walking away.

"_There you have it folks, the one and only Robin with your…" _I pressed mute, letting it all sink in. I let out a breath of surprise, wrapping my fingers around my hair. He was sorry, truly sorry. And he was living in a false reality that I was happy, which wasn't fair. He deserved to know what was happening. He deserved to know that we had been exposed, that he couldn't expose himself as Mr. Grayson anymore.

I got up in my seat and sprinted to the door, grabbing my keys. He deserved to know, and I was going to make sure of it.

* * *

I pulled up on the driveway, throwing off my helmet. I took in a deep breath, examining my surroundings. The mansion was as neatly trimmed and perfect as I remembered. I took in a deep breath, hopping off my moped.

I made my way over to the front door, taking in a deep breath. It would be nearly a month since I've seen him in person. I raised my fist to the door, preparing myself to knock. I closed my eye, holding in my breath. He deserved to know.

With that thought in mind I knock; three time. I felt a rush of adrenaline as i did so, and at that moment, I regretted ever coming. The door opened, and my heart stopped.

"May I help you?" My hand dropped as I felt disappointment wash over me. In front of me was an elderly man, one that I've never seen before. He was giving me a confused look, and I felt embarrassed to be here.

"I...um...I'm really sorry. I must have the wrong address." I sputtered.

"Who are you looking for, exactly?" He asked.

"Uh...Richard. Richard Grayson." I said.

"Oh, you have the right address. Just a moment, please." He said, closing the door. I furrowed my brows, confused. I looked down, shuffling awkwardly on my feet. A few seconds later, the door opened again. I looked up, and my breath caught in my throat.

"Alfred, I told you that I don't like vis- Garfield?" I blinked. It felt surreal. He hasn't changed one bit. He was still as handsome as I remembered. He wasn't the dysfunctional mess I was; he was just fine. "Garfield?" He asked again, opening the door wider.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here." I whispered. I turned around and began to walk towards my moped before he could say anything. I was stupid to think he actually meant what he said. I was stupid to think he was loss without me. I grabbed my helmet, holding back angry tears. I hopped on the bike, revving it up. As I began to back up I spotted Mr. Grayson running towards me. He grabbed the bike by the handles, forcing me to stop.

"Don't leave...please." he panted. I looked away, biting my lips.

"I'm sorry. I-I don't know why I came. I just...I just…" I couldn't contain it anymore. All of the hurt and frustration I felt suddenly came pouring out, and I couldn't contain my tears anymore. I felt strong hands gently wrap around my forearm, pulling me up.

"Come inside, we can talk in there." I nodded, standing up. He let me go, reaching over to take the keys out of the ignition. He guided me towards the door,allowing me inside. "Alfred, take Garfield to the living room. I need to put some things away." Mr. Grayson said, seemingly handing me over to the older man.

"Right this way, Garfield. I'll make you a cup of tea to help calm your nerves." I nodded, wrapping my arms around myself. As I followed behind him, I took in my surroundings. Contrary to the surroundings of the outside, the inside was in complete shambles. Papers and books littered the floors, half drank coffee litter the tables, and furniture the majority of the furniture were misplaced.

"Have a seat here. Master Grayson will be here shortly." I nodded, thanking him. He walked away, leaving me alone in a home that should be foreign, but wasn't.I twiddled with my fingers, sniffling. A knock drew my attention to the entrance. Mr. Grayson stood there leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. I looked back down as he began making his way towards me. I heard him take a seat on the opposite chair.

"It's...it's great to see you again, Garfield." He began awkwardly. I bit my lips, rubbing my arms nervously. There was a moment of silence between us, neither of us knowing what to do or say. "Is everything alright?" He asked. I looked up and nodded.

"Really? You don't look too good." He pointed out. It was just then that I noticed that I hadn't cleaned up before coming here. I probably looked a hot mess.

"I…" I began. "I saw you on the news today." He raised his eyebrows, seemingly surprised.

"You did? Well...is that the reason you're here." He asked. I looked down, twiddling with my fingers again.

'I just wanted to uh...thank you? For apologizing. It was really nice of you." I stalled.

"I meant every word." He answered. "But...that's not the real reason you came, is it?" I pressed my lips together, shaking my head.

"I dropped out of school." I blurted. "Adonis and Roy knew about us and had film. I'm so sorry. I tried to hold them off for as long as I could but I couldn't and they sent the videos to the whole school. I didn't know what to do so I dropped out. I'm so sorry." All my words came out in a jumbled mess, and by the time I finished out was out of breath.

I covered my face with my hands, terrified by my own confession. I wanted to run away, but I was tired of running. I was tired of letting people run my life and me not doing anything. I just needed someone to listen.

"And I know that you want me to be happy, but I'm not. The things I've been through, the people I've been with; it was all to protect you. And for what? You're completely fine. You have your life back together. And I'm just here...wishing that somehow things could go back the way they were." I looked up, looking Mr. Grayson in the eyes for the first time in what felt like years. "I just wish...I just wish you were there when I needed you."

He seemed at lost for words as I could see his eyes redden.

"I-I thought you would be happy. I thought you would be safe without me-"

"Yeah, well I'm not!" I yelled, standing up. "I loved you. I loved you and you said you loved me. So why didn't you fight for me? How could you leave me alone to deal with all of our problems by myself?" Everything that I wouldn't allow myself to think came pouring out of me at that moment. I was angry, hurt, and annoyed all at the same time. "How could you be so insensitive to think I would be okay without you? How could you think I would be safe when I'm hurting this badly?

I spent a week with those bastards, a week! I was flaunted around like some arm candy because I still cared about you. I still cared, and you moved on." I shook my head, wiping away tears. "You've moved on and left me alone." I whispered, closing my eyes.

"The only reason I moved on," Mr. Grayson said standing up, catching my attention. "The _only_ reason I moved on was to protect you. I loved you, I still do...but god, do you even remember that night, Garfield? Do you remember how I found you that night?" He took a step closer. His eyes were red and watery, and his body was shaking. "You were broken, bruised, beaten. I could barely even recognize you." He grabbed me by my arms, shaking me. "Do you even realize what they would've done to you if I hadn't come there in time." He seethed. He shook me again, urging a response out of me. "Do you?" He yelled.

"Yes!" I screamed back, tears burning my eyes. "They would've raped me, I know! But that's not the point-"

"But that is the point, don't you understand? They came after you to get to me. That's who they wanted. I let you pay the price for my mistakes. And I never.." He looked down, shaking his head before looking back up. Tears were steadily streaming down his face. "I never want to see you hurt like that again. I would never forgive myself if someone hurt you enough to cost you your life. That's the reason I didn't tell you; because I knew that being Robin would put you in harm's way.

So yes, I moved on. I moved on to protect you. I thought that...if we weren't together anymore then you would be safe. I thought…" He looked up, his lip quivering, and tears falling freely. "I-I thought you would be happy without having to deal with my double life. I mean...I lied to you, Garfield! I lied to you to protect you and it did the complete opposite. But I was wrong."

He let go of my arms, dropping his down to his side. I could only watch wide eyed as he sunk to his knees, covering his face with his hands. It was the first time I saw him openly sob, and it honestly scared me. Mr. Grayson was strong, inside and outside. He never allowed his true emotions to show, even when I thought he did.

I slowly got to my knees. I rubbed his back, feeling a new wave of tears wash over me. He looked up, tears still dripping off my face. I smiled, shaking my head. I then wrapped my arms around him, letting him cry on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." He whispered. I nodded, combing my fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry I couldn't understand." I mumbled. Just then, an alarm blared, causing us both to jump.

"Crap." He seethed, sitting up. He wiped his eyes, standing up. "I'm sorry, that's the crime alert. I have to-"

"Go." I said, smiling, wiping away my own tears. "I'll be right here when you come back." He gave me one final look before nodding.

"If you need anything, just ask Alfred." He said, planting a quick kiss on my forehead. He got up and ran out the door, leaving me alone. I sighed, standing up and sitting back in the chair.

"Are you finding everything alright?" I heard a voice ask. I looked up to see Alfred at the door. I wiped my face, putting on a smile.

"Everything's...great. Thank you." I replied.

"You know," He said, making my way towards me, "Richard hasn't been quite the same since he met you. And he especially wasn't the same when you left."

"Oh, really?" I said. He nodded, taking a seat beside me.

"Oh, yes. In fact, the only reason I'm here is because Master Bruce felt like he needed someone to make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

"Hurt himself?" I repeated.

"He was really depressed at one point, you see. All he could talk about was how he has lost you. Ah yes, he was most certainly heartbroken." He added.

"But he got over me." I said with a roll of my eyes. The old man chuckled.

"Look around. Does it look like he's over you?" I looked around, seeing how messy the ordinarily clean house was. "He became Robin again because he felt guilty for not protecting you. So now he makes it his duty to protect everyone who can't protect themselves. No matter the danger it puts him in."

I let the words sink in, letting a grin of disbelief spread across my really did always put others before himself.

"I suppose I should make that tea I promised you." Alfred said, patting my leg. Before I could say anything in protest, he got up and left the room. I wiped my face again, taking in a deep breath. Just then, a sound of glass shattering rang throughout the house. I got up, surprised by the sound.

"Is everything alright, Alfred?" I asked, making my way towards the kitchen. "Alfred, I heard the glass break and I came to see if-" I stopped, shocked at the scene before me.

Alfred was held, knife to his neck, by a large man with a serpent tattoo around his head. Two more men stood around him, turning around to meet me. One was just as large, and I recognized him almost instantly as the one who tried to rape me. The other had bright green hair, a pale face, and a wicked, almost crazy style. This man was unmistakeable, one of the most wanted man in the world. He was The Joker.

"Ah, Garfield. What a pleasure to finally meet you." The Joker grinned, cocking his finger to the side. "I've heard so many great things about you."

"Run, Garfield!" Alfred yelled. I slowly backed up before turning around and sprinting. I heard The Joker yell 'get him', which prompted me to run faster. I ran out the door, sprinting pass my jeep and down the road. I never turned back, and I didn't stop even when my legs began to burn.

Just as I thought I had lost them, a purple vehicle pulled up in front of me. I stopped as I saw The Joker step out with open arms. I backed up, shaking my head.

"Stay away from me!" I yelled. Before I could shift into something and fly away I was hit from behind, causing me to fall to the ground. I hit my head, causing my world to spin around me. I touched my forehead, surprise to see blood on my fingers. Groaning, got on my knees, attempting to crawl away, only to be kicked in the stomach. I landed on my back, gasping for air.

I felt someone grab arm roughly. I tried to pull away as my eyes focused on the needle in their hand. I screamed for help as he injected the serum in me. Soon, my attempts began to grow weak, and I couldn't fight any longer.

My body felt like lead, and I couldn't move anymore. In my line of vision, I could see the Joker hovering above me. I wanted to move away as he bent down, but couldn't. He ran his finger against my cheek, smiling cruelly.

"What do you want from me?" I choked. The Joker laughed, throwing his head back. Ge the wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up so that we were face to face. He ran his nose across my neck, inhaling.

"Fun." He whispered.

* * *

**Woah, that was an emotional rollercoaster. I'm sorry you guys had to suffer though that.**

**AngiMK~**

**Thanks for the comment, it made my day! Makes me laugh every time I read it! Thanks for the support!**

**A Simple Tree~**

**Things ARE getting interesting, indeed. **

**As alays, please review!**


	25. Chapter 25: Tape 1

**WARNING: The following chapters may contain blood, torture, death, sexual scenes and/or scenes of rape. **

If there was one thing I didn't miss about being a superhero, it would be false alarms. It was always tedious and unneeded for someone to stage a dire situation just to get a glimpse of a super in public. It wasn't like crime really ever rested, so the fact that people felt the need to make up a petty situation was completely useless. I don't think people fully realize that superheroes have lives also.

I had more important things to do than giving an unauthorized interview about my return; especially when that said importance was waiting for me come home. However, it was almost impossible to push past the large crowd surrounding me once I realized I had been fooled. Paparazzi, reporters, and even average civilians surrounded me, bombarding me with ludicrous questions that I'm sure I had already answered once before. And it would be almost unorthodox for me to obey the public, because it shattered the "hero" image.

"Robin! Robin!" A particularly chubby man screamed, using his large body to push people out of the way to reach me. He was obviously was a reporter, judging by his microphone in hand and a camera crew following closely behind him. I stopped once he reached me, grimacing as he let out an exhausted heap of breath which hit my face. "Rumors have it that their is a significant someone in your life from past interviews? Will you reveal who that someone is anytime soon?"

"I really don't have time for questions, sorry." I said, pushing past the man. However, I was pulled back by my arm. It wasn't unheard of for people to get handsy with heroes, but it was annoying. "Sir, if you would let go of me-"

"It'd be a shame if you lost that green boy again." He sneered into my ear. My eyes widen and a swirled around, meeting the reported snarky expression.

"What?" I growled. The man grinned, looking down at his watch and then at his cameramen, who also smiled wickedly.

"If I were you, I'd start running." He said, turning around and getting lost within the crowd. My body went rigid as I tried to comprehend what was just said to me, but once I had, I was at full sprint, pushing past the crowd.

Panic and adrenaline was all I could feel as I sped through the town, whizzing past vehicles and earning angry blares from horns. My home was not that far away, but it felt like every second I wasted was just more time for Garfield to be taken right under my wing. With minutes, I had pulled up in my driveway and running into my still opened front door.

"Gar!" I yelled once I entered the building. Upon not hearing a response, I ran to the common room where I had last left him, desperately hoping that he had fallen asleep. My hopes only deflated as I saw that he was not there. I shouted his name again, hoping for some sort of response, but none came.

"Alfred!" I called, remembering that I had left Garfield with him. The fact that Alfred didn't greet him at the door like he always did was an obvious red flag. "Alfred, where are you?" There was a sound of knocking coming from the kitchen. I quickly made my way there, and was surprised to see the room covered in glass and Alfred tied up and gagged on the floor.

I quickly began to cut away the binds with a nearby piece of glass, worry evident on my face. It was obvious that Alfred wasn't in full consciousness. He had a rather large gash on his forehead with a knot on the end. As a result, his eyes fluttered open and close as he tried to focus on his surrounds.

As I finally finished removing the binds, I helped him sit up, propping him up on the cabinet. I removed the gag from his mouth, allowing him to take a large intake of breath.

"Alfred, I need you to listen to me. What happened? Where's Garfield?" I demanded. Alfred groaned, shutting his eyes and placing a shaky head on his forehead. As he brought his hand back down to his face, he seemed surprised that it was covered in blood and stared at it astonished. "Alfred!" I screamed, gaining his attention, even though his eyes were still wide with surprise. "Where is Garfield?" I repeated urgently. This seemed to snap him out of his state of shock.

"I-I'm sorry. I couldn't stop them." Alfred stuttered, shaking his head disappointingly. "He took him." My heart seemed to drop at the pit of my stomach and burn. A new kind of fear took its place; one of guilt, horror, and denial. A small part of me already knew who it had been, the rest of me just didn't want to admit it.

"Who?" I whispered, my body beginning to shake. Alfred looked me directly in the eyes, his expression turning cold with the slightest hint of sympathy.

"The Joker."

* * *

I watched with my arms folded as Alfred was lifted into the back of the ambulance truck. An aura of guilt hang at my shoulders as I scolded myself for letting this happen. The truck blared its sirens, speeding off the driveway and down the road, out of sight.

"Richard Grayson, was it?" Asked a police woman as she made her way up to me. I nodded, though my expression hadn't changed at her arrival. "I'm sorry about what happened here." Although sincere enough, I was sure she didn't really care, especially since I told them it was a mere, petty robbery.

"It's expected." I answered monotonically.

"Yes, but it's still unfortunate. I know we already asked, but I just need to make sure we have everything straight. Where were you at the place of the robbery and do you have any suspicions on who could have done it?"

"Like I said, I went out on a drive. When I came back I found my butler tied up and my house a mess. If I knew who had done this, don't you think I would have told you by now?" I snapped irritably. I had better things to do rather than answer repetitive questions.

"Right." The woman said, seemingly unphased by my tone. "By the way," she said handing out a rectangular box with a note attached to the top. "You left this outside your mailbox. And if you need to talk about what happened, give me a call." She winked before turning away and walking to her patrol car, rather seductively.

I waited until the car was down the road before storming inside, tearing off the note with the officer's number on it, crumbling it, and throwing it away. I then went to the common room, placing the ominous box on the coffee table. Hastily, I cut it open, revealing a vhs labeled 'tape one'.

There was nothing else on it, or within the boss, to allude to what could be on the tape, and somehow, I knew I didn't want to know. Yet, it was suspicious enough to gain my attention at such a dire time, because I knew that I had checked the mail earlier and hadn't left anything.

Knowing that the video could contain anything, I went down to my lair, which only Alfred knew about. I went to my bookshelf, tugging a book which served as a lever, revealing a stairwell. I quickly ran down the stairwell, revealing all the high quality technology I had aquired, my many replicas of costumes for robin, and a massive arrange of weapons on my wall. But at the moment, I needed none of this, and instead, went to the vcr located near a monitor.

I plugged in the vcr, thankful that it still whirled to life after not being used for such a long time. As the monitor revealed a blue screen, I put in the vhs tape and waited for the video to play. As the video began to play, I growled under my breath.

"_Hello again, Robin my dear boy. Or should I call you Richard? You really did do a terrible job keeping your identity a secret." _A large, hysterical howl jolted out of the speakers as the Joker giggled with glee, clapping his hands and jumping in his chair. Robin clenched his fists together, feeling anger wash over him.

"_I suppose if you're watching this then my plan worked, and your lover is under my wing now. What do you call him, Garfield?" _He mused once his laughter died down. Robin was both enraged and fearful, knowing that if the Joker had him there was no telling what he could do. "_It's a shame I didn't get to meet him when I first had him, I planned to have tons of fun with him." _

Robin felt a shiver go down his spies as the Jokers use of the word, 'fun'. Knowing the Joker, his ideas of fun ranged anywhere between pain and torture to fulfilling his own twisted desires.

"_Of course, you had to swoop in and disturb our fun. The boys' were really starting to get to know him, if you catch my drift. He's quite the looker, Richard, you chose well." _I slammed my hands on the table, rage overcoming me as the villain began laughing again.

"Where is he you sick bastard?" I screamed, despite knowing it was a pre-recorded video.

"_But this time," _The Joker said, his expression suddenly going dark. "_I assure you you will not be able to save him, and I will have my fun." _I felt the fire that was burning within me suddenly diminish, leaving me cold by the Joker's words. "_I will make him suffer, just as you had made me suffer. You will have to live with the fact that you were the cause of your lovers demise." _

"_But...I'm not completely unreasonable. And what's the point of making him suffer with no one to see? We're going to play a game, okay bird boy? We're going to play a game of truth or dare." _The Joker grinned from ear to ear maliciously. "_I dare you to watch the tapes that I send you, beginning to end. Watch it a few times over if you have to, because within those tapes are the truth to where I am hiding and where the next tape will be."_

"_There will be three tapes total, not including this one. Each one will become drastically more graphic and demoralizing, but it will help you find your precious boyfriend. Are you up for the challenge?" _ My whole body was shaking from mixed emotions. I was so close to punching the monitor on one hand, and crying out in desperation in the other. I knew I didn't have a choice, I was just scared of what I might see.

"_I'll go easy on you for the first tape. It is located where you first me your little lover. But hurry, we don't want anyone else finding the tapes, do we?" _ My eyes widened as I instantly realized just where the tape was located. "_Oh Robin, one more thing. You have three days to find me. Once the hour hits twelve o'clock midnight, there won't be any Garfield left to save." _The Joker said, sliding his thumb across his neck.

A I ran out of the room, the Joker's laughter could be heard echoing down the hallways.

* * *

If there was one place I thought I would never be caught dead in again, it was Superhero High. Besides the obvious reasons of quitting my job, finding out that everyone knew of our secret relationship just made coming here ten times harder.

It was still school hours, which, on a normal basis I would've waited until the school closed to break in. However, with the Joker only giving me three days to find the tapes and figure out where Garfield is, there was really no time to wait. Just imagining what the sick man planned to do to him made me feel sick and all the more urgency to find them and get it over with.

I peered through the window of my old classroom, finding it completely empty inside. It must be lunch period, which meant I still had a good thirty minutes to find what I was looking for. I opened the window, which was surprisingly unlocked, and climbed into the building.

I quickly began rummaging through the desk draws, searching for where the tape would be located. I searched beneath the student's desks, through the cabinets, even behind the posters on the wall. Nothing was here.

Just as I was about to leave (because there was no use trying to find something that wasn't there) I heard the door click open. There was no time to make a dash for the window, nor was there any time to hide. As the door swung open, my expression darkened as a man walked in with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Richard, funny seeing you here." The man cooed.

"Slade." I growled.

"I believe this is what you're looking for?" Slade grinned, holding up a vhs tape. My eyes widen at the sight of it, and I instinctively took a step forward. However, Slade held the tape up, tutting disapprovingly. "It'd be a shame if this were to break. Must be pretty important for you to show your face around here again."

"What do you want?" I asked, my eyes never leaving the tape.

"I want to know the truth. What were your relations with Garfield Logan?" Slade began as he made his way towards me. "Were you good friends? Well, I guess that would be a stretch. Perhaps, a couple would be a better term, hm?" He asked, tucking the tape behind his back as he circled around me. He deep, snarky, and authoritative voice always sent shivers down my spine, even when we were teenagers. "Maybe even lovers?" He whispered into my ear.

"Fuck you." I spat, earning a chuckle.

"To be quite honest with you, I have admired Garfield from afar, but to go as far as to make love to him-"

"Stop it."

"-being able to touch his body whenever you pleased-"

"I swear-"

"-just feels too surreal to happen. Especially with someone like you." Slade chastised. "How did you do it? How did you manipulate him to bow to your every command."

"Unlike you, I don't need manipulation."

"Oh so you're saying you loved each other, how cute." Slade laughed as he continued circling. "Look where that got you." Having enough of this foreplay, I lunged for the tape. However, slade caught my arm, pinning it behind me before slamming my torso on top of a desk.

"Face it, Richard. I've always been better than you, stronger than you. You've always been beneath me." Slade hissed in my ear. I let out a surprised gasp as I felt the unmistakable feeling being pressed against my backside as Slade pushed his body into mine. "If you want this tape, you're going to have to earn it. Just like old times, hm?"

Flashbacks of when I was in grade school resurfaced in my memory. Ones where Slade would steal my homework and the only way to get them back was by submitting to him. He always felt vulnerable and weak around slade. True, he was bigger, stronger, and faster than him, but he was older now. He was _Robin. _He couldn't let slade take advantage of him again.

Using all his might, he thrusted his head backwards, feeling satisfied when he heard the crunch of the man's nose and a yell of pain. Slade let go of me, stumbling backwards.

"You little-" Before he had time to finish, I sent a roundhouse kick towards his chest, causing him to fly backwards and hit the wall, dropping the tape in the process. I picked up the tape, grinning and waving it in his face.

"You're right, you are stronger than me, but you're not smarter. If you were smart, you would leave me, and Garfield alone." As the bell rang, I rushed out of the window. A feeling of accomplishment washed over me as I had finally defeated my long term bully. But I knew that feeling would diminished as I watched the tape.

* * *

_My head was pounding as I sat up. The room was dimly lit, barely enough light to see my hands in front of me. I groaned, feeling cold stone beneath me. I didn't have a clue as to where I was and what could have led me to being here._

_My neck was stiff, and I reached out to try and massage it. However, what my hands felt wasn't skin. Instead, it was a cold hard metal that felt eerily familiar. I began to panic, trying to tug the metal off, to no avail. I tried shifting into a larger animal, then a smaller animal; nothing happened. _

"_Richard?" I called, my voice echoing inside the closed off room. I called his name again, only to be answered by the sounds of my own voice. Suddenly, a light went on, temporarily blinding me. Once I opened my eyes again, I could see exactly where I was. _

_The room was fairly large, yet empty. Each of the four walls were pure concrete. It was white and polished, and in the center of the room was a drain. I spotted a door at the far end of the room and made a dash for it._

_Just as I was about to reach the handle, I was yanked back with enough force to put me on my back. As I groggily sat up, I just now seemingly noticed the cuffs around my hands with a thick rope attached. I followed the rope to the ceiling, where two levees held it up. _

_I tried to yank it off, using all my might to try and break free. However, they would not budge. I even tried gnawing it off with my teeth, but the elastic was too thick, even for my enlarged canines._

_Defeated, I sunk back down to my knees and processed the situation I was in. I couldn't remember when I had fallen asleep, or why my head was throbbing painfully. The only thing I could remember was visiting Richard; everything else was a blur._

_Suddenly, the latch to the door turned. I got up and ran a few feet back, not knowing who was on the other side. My stomach instantly dropped as the man walked in, a sinister smile plastered onto his face._

"_Oh, you're awake, dear Garfield. I was beginning to think you were hit too hard." The man cooed. Suddenly the memories came back to me. And the man in front of me was to blame._

"_No." I whispered, backing away. "Stay away from me." The Joker cocked his head to the side, smiling._

"_You look like you've seen a ghost." The Joker grinned, walking towards him. I stopped backpedalling as I felt the wall press against my back. My heart was hammering inside my chest and all I could feel was fear. Everyone knew how demented the Joker could be. There were many reports of him manipulating his enemies until they were unrecognizable. Some victims he killed just for the pure pleasure. He was the most feared villain in the world._

_What did he want with me?_

_The Joker stopped midway through his pursuit, a confused expression evident on his face._

"_What's wrong, do you not want to play?" He asked, sadly. Then a grin appeared on his face as he pulled out a remote. "Come here so we can have some fun." I watched as he pressed a button on the remote._

_Suddenly, I was being pulled forward by the rope. I tried to resist, but it was much too strong, and i was practically dragged across the floor until I was in front of the Joker, where the rope continued to hoist me upward. I struggled to keep my feet on the ground as the rope kept pulling me upward. Finally it stopped, leaving my feet just a few inches off the ground. _

_Still, that didn't stop me from trying to get down as I tugged on the rope. The Joker simply watched in amusement as I began to lose energy and I stopped trying to break the rope somehow. Finally, exhausted, I relaxed my muscles, allowing the rope to keep me suspended in the air._

"_I'm not afraid of you." I growled, despite know I was. The Joker laughed, clapping his hands together._

"_Oh, you should be, pretty boy. You should be very afraid." He grinned, tapping me on the nose before pinching me roughly and shaking my head. He let go, giving me a disgusted look before circling around me._

"_What do you want from me?" I asked, trying to watch his every move._

"_Me? I just want to hurt you, really really bad." The way he said that line with ease sent a shiver down his spine. "I want to hear you beg for mercy. I want you plead for death. I want you to suffer." _

"_Why? What have I done to you?" I asked, trying to ignore my own trepidation. The Joker chuckled, stopping at my side a grabbing my face to look at him._

"_Why don't you ask your rotten bird boy. It is his fault that you're in this situation. Personally, I have nothing against you. But what he did to me deserves my revenge. You just so happen to be the perfect person to cause him the most pain. Your demise will certainly end him." The Joker stated seriously, patting my cheek, which felt more like a snap._

"_Enough small talk, let the fun begin!" He pressed another button on the remote, and almost immediately, the door swung open, revealing a man pushing a cart towards us. The Joker jumped with joy at its arrival, marveling at the many tools on top. The door closed as the random man left, but the Joker still remain ecstatic over the cart in front of him._

_He suddenly turned around, revealing a large knife to me. Against knowing I couldn't escape, my body began to try to break the bonds again. However, when the Joker came face to face with me, I stopped, horrified._

_The man hummed as he trailed the knife against his tongue, watching my reaction joyfully. Once he reach the tip, he placed it underneath my chin, causing my breath to hitch within my thought. I could only watched with fearful eyes as he trailed the knife down my neck and across my collarbone. _

"_Let's get rid of this burdensome shirt, hm?" Without warning, he cut the cloth from my neck to my shoulder on both sides with incredible speed. The two halves of my shirt fell to the ground without having each other to support it. I suddenly felt even more vulnerable without it._

"_Thats better, isn't it?" He asked, pressing his nose against my collarbone, causing me to lift my head up in disgust. "I can see why Robin fancied you, you have such a beautiful body." By this point, my whole body was shaking. I was too afraid to say anything in protest. Too afraid to even try to get the sick man off of me._

_He trailed his nose up my neck and too my ear, where his tongue flicked at the lobe. He then let out a sigh into my ear, causing me to grimace._

"_Too bad I'll have to ruin it." He hummed._

"_Do your worst." I retorted before I even realized it had escaped my mouth. The man in front of me stepped back, a seemingly surprised expression on his face. Then, a creepy smile spread across it, making me regret ever speaking._

"_I plan to." He said, turning around a facing the cart. A few seconds later he grabbed something, squealing and jumping with joy. He then whirled around, showing me something that made my face pale._

"_How many lashes do you think you deserve?" He asked, cracking the whip. I didn't answer, I couldn't find the strength to. If I wasn't shaking before, I definitely was now. "Scream for me, why don't you? I need good footage,"_

_Although I didn't know what he meant, I was sure I didn't want to find out. The man skipped around me so that he was behind me. I felt his cold, slender fingers trail down my back, and for a second I thought that he might had changed his mind._

_Then, out of the blue, I felt a sting that felt like fire hit by back. I gasped for breath, shocked by the excruciating pain that the whip brought. My body fanned outward, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe._

"_Ooh, that's one lash down. But you didn't scream, and I want to hear that lovely voice of yours." Another strike had me wiggling like a worm on a hook. The pain began to blur my vision and my breath came of in strained puffs. "I think we're almost there!" Came the mad voice from behind._

_After the third hit, I could no longer contain my scream. I could feel my skin begin to peel away right from my body. The voice that emitted from my mouth sounded almost foreign, too scared, too in pain. My body could no longer support itself, and a slumped against the restrains._

"_Come now, we're just getting time to give up yet." Another cry filled my throat as the whip crack down on me again, and again, and again. I had lost count. I screamed until my voice became hoarse and all I could was sob. I could feel the blood streaming down my back, down my leg, and dripping off my feet. I could feel each sore spot of which my skin had peeled, and welts had formed. At this point, I could no longer feel the cracks of the whips against my skin, for my body had grown numb._

"_I'm bored now." The Joker sighed, tossing the cursed thing aside. My eyes were barely open as he strutted in front of me, pinching my cheek. "You put on quite a show, excellent work." I was too tired to put up a fight and my throat pained me to even breathe, let alone talk. All I could was weakly look up, glaring at the evil ma._

"_Oh don't look at me like that, we're just having fun here. The healer will be here in about two hours. Until then, try not to bleed out." He patted me on the cheek, cackling. He turned on his heel and out of the room without a second glance back. The lights flickered off, leaving me in the dark._

* * *

**I told you guys this story would get dark! And sorry for the wait, finals are this week and I've been trying to cram everything in. Hopefully this will make up for it!**

**Also, check out the story my friend Sapphire Sterre made called Parody of Grayson High! It's super funny and it will take away from the darkness that's about to ensue here. Be sure to comment to keep her fueled and writing!**

**Which brings me to another topic: cyberbullying. I just want to point out that behind the screen are people who have feelings. You don't know what that person could be going through right now, so saying something negative and cruel can only fuel their depression and/or suicidal thoughts. I just wanted to put that out there because it **_**can**_ **happen and it's a serious reality in today's society. So before you comment something make sure that it's never directly towards a person's wellbeing. :)**

**Now onto reviews!**

**StrayDogHowling028~**

**Ah! Thank you for your appreciation!**

**AngiMK~**

**I live for your reviews! They never cease to make me laugh. Thank you!**

**Guest(1)~**

**Nah, I encouraged her to write it. You should check it out, Thanks for the concern!**

**Guest(2)~**

**Ah! I hope this satisfies!**

**As always, please review!**

**P.S. The following chapters do get graphic and if anyone has a problem just let me know and I will try my best to find a way to accommodate :)**


	26. Chapter 26: Tape 2 (part one)

**WARNING: The following chapter may contain blood, torture, death, sexual scenes, and/or scenes of rape.**

My fingers hovered in the air, shaking profusely. I could only stare with wide, petrified eyes at the frozen screen in front of me. All previous emotions had left me, leaving me temporarily hollow. The scene before me was the very end of the video; of Garfield suspended in the air, blood dripping off his wounds and down into the the drain below before the lights shut off.

My eyes had began to water as I stared at the black screen. A low croak unwillingly came out of my throat before I felt a sudden sickness overcome me. I quickly got up, running over to the nearest wastebin and spilling out the contents of whatever I had eaten before. At that moment all of the emotions came crashing back, leaving me overwhelmed.

The images of Garfield being flogged replayed over and over again in my head. His gut wrenching screams still sent shivers down my spine and made me feel sick knowing I wasn't there to stop it. And oh, the blood. Every lashing tainted his beautiful skin, leaving an ugly gash and blood oozing out of it. It pained me to know that the person I loved most was being tortured because of me, and I had no way to protect him.

I squatted down on the ground after I had finished vomiting. I stared blankly at the floor below before rage consumed me. Bawling my hands into a fist, a punched the ground, letting out a scream of frustration. I punched the ground repeatedly until it felt as if my hands would break.

"Damn you!" I yelled, though no one was around to hear. It was supposed to be me. The Joker was supposed to take out his revenge on me. I was supposed to be the one enduring the pain. I was the reason he was vengeful. It shouldn't be Garfield.

I could feel my past resurfacing, and my actions were finally catching up to me. I should've known I wouldn't be able to hide forever. I was just some stupid kid trying to make my own decisions when I new there would be consequences. I did the unspeakable and now the effect was coming back to haunt me.

The worst part is is that I didn't pick up a single clue as to where the next tape was. As much as I didn't want to, I would have to re-watch this nightmare until I could pick up the next clue. The thought made me sick all over again. Swallowing back any feelings of reluctance or fear, I stood up on shaking knees.

I made my way back over to the t.v, sitting back down in the chair. However, I couldn't bring myself to rewind the video. I suddenly felt nauseous just thinking about rewatching it and having to see The Joker enjoying this cruel punishment. My body grew rigid as I stared at the vcr.

I was afraid. That much was easy to detect. I was afraid of seeing the confusion and fear in Garfield's once happy eyes. It's been so long since he seemed truly happy. Everything that has caused him pain was because of me, and I couldn't stand to see even more pain be inflicted on him. I was afraid of searching and searching for clues and not finding anything. What if I never find anything? He would die in the hands of that villain and it would all be because of me.

I shook my head, ridding the thoughts. That is not how Bruce raised me to be. I had to be strong for Garfield's sake. The Joker gave me a challenge and I wasn't going to rest until Garfield was safe. If Joker wanted to play this sick, twisted game, then so be it.

With that thought in mind, I began to rewind the tape, preparing to find an answer no matter the cost.

* * *

"There has to be something." I growled, taking another swig of coffee. It was well into the night now. I had lost track of time around two a.m. However, that did not matter. I told myself I would not rest until I knew where the next tape was.

I had to had watched the video over a hundred times. I studied every angle, corner, everything said; nothing helped. I cursed, pressing rewind on the vcr again. I agitatedly chugged down the rest of the coffee. My body was begging to lie down and rest, but I had to ignore these urges. Just then a yawn threatened to escape, but I sealed my mouth closed before I could allow myself to show any sign of tiredness. Once the video reached the beginning, I pressed play, grabbing my notepad and pen and squinting to get a better view of the screen.

"Richard, are you down here?" If I hadn't immediately picked up the voice, I would've been ready to fight. However, I realized it was just Alfred, and decided to ignore the call. I could hear footsteps coming towards me and stopping behind the foot of my chair. And audible gasp could be heard. I don't blame him. I had watched the tape so many times that my body had become numb to the images depicted of the screen.

"Richard…" I heard Alfred begin slowly. "How long have you been down here?" I shrugged my shoulders, taking another useless note about something that the Joker said. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, trying to grab my attention. "You need to rest."

"I can't." I grunted. "Not when Garfield's life is in danger."

"It won't do you any good if you find him and you're too exhausted to save him. Why don't you go take a nap and I'll take over from here? I'll let you know if I find anything." I paused the video, letting my shoulders sink. I turned towards the old man, noting how he had gauze wrapped around his head. He must've just gotten home from the hospital.

"You're right," I sighed. "I'm sorry, how are you? How's your head?" I asked. He shook his head, giving me a warm smile.

"It's not me you should be worried about. How long do you have to find him?"

"Three days. Now two to be more precise. I haven't even found the second tape yet." I sighed, dejectedly.

"May I see the first?" Alfred asked. I raised an eyebrow, but nodded. Pressing eject on the vcr, I grabbed the tape and handed it to Alfred. He studied it for a moment, flipping it over and turning it to the side. I watched him curiously.

Suddenly, he raised the tape above his head. Before I could even move to stop him, he brought it down onto his knee, snapping it in two. I jumped out of my chair, shock, horror, and fear engulfing me.

"What do you think you're doing?" I yelled incredulously, frantically picking up the broken pieces off the floor. My heart felt like it had collapsed, thinking that I lost any chances of finding Gar.

"Rule number one of searching," Alfred said, spilling out the film and other debris from the carcass. "If a clue seems to hard to find, look in the easiest place you can think of." He held out a bawled fist towards me. I stood up, wiping my hands. He then turned over his wrists, opening up his hand, revealing a finger made out of stone.

I picked up the object, examining it at a closer range.

"I-I don't understand. What does it mean?" I asked. Alfred shrugged.

"Why don't you sleep on it? Even if you knew what it meant, it wouldn't be wise for you to find it in this condition." I pressed my lips together, ready to counter the thought but decided against it. He was right. If I kept myself awake and find him, there would be no way for me to fight properly. The best thing I could do now was rest, even just for a few hours.

"Thank you." I said, nodding. I walked out of the lair, towards my room. I hadn't realized how truly exhausted I was until I collapsed on my bed, not even bothering to change into something more comfortable.

As I felt my heavy eyelids start to droop, I stared at the stone finger, wondering what the Joker meant by it.

* * *

_My eyes shot open. I was breathing heavily and it felt as if my limbs were made out of metal. I examines my surroundings, which wasn't much. I appeared to be in a dimly lit hallway, each side stretching so far that I could not see where it ended._

_Standing on shaking knees, I began to steadily walk towards the left. Despite every part of me to sit back down and rest, I continued my trek. Suddenly a shriek echoed through the halls._

"_No! Please!" I instantly recognized the voice, and began sprinting towards its direction. My legs burned as it felt like I've been running for miles, and my brain was pounding against my skull. My heart felt as if it had stopped beating, but I ignored it, allowing adrenaline to keep pushing me further._

"_Gar!" I called. "Where are you?" I continued to run as the screams began to fade._

"_Help me!" Came his voice again, but softening. I picked up my pace, panting exuberantly. _

"_Where are you?" I cried again, feeling my body start to break down. No matter how many steps I took forward, it felt as if I were taking ten steps back. Soon the screaming stopped, and I was left not knowing which way to go._

_I collapsed onto my knees, my whole body shaking. I covered my face with my hands, letting out a frustrated growl. I was so close, yet so far._

"_Rich, what are you doing on the floor?" Said a familiar voice behind me. I spun around quickly, not believing my eyes. Garfield stood in front of me, a confused expression on his face, but otherwise unscathed. In fact, he seemed perfectly healthy._

_I jumped up, immediately wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. I could feel him tense up at first, but later let himself relax and rub small circles on my back._

"_You're okay." I breathed, still amazed._

"_I'm fine. The question is are you okay? One minute you're telling me about the art and the next you're on the ground." It was just then I noticed our surroundings. People were swarming around us, giving us quizzical looks, but other than that ignoring us. Others were admiring the many artworks and galleries, taking pictures._

"_How did we get here?" I asked, pulling us apart. Garfield gave me a weird look._

"_Are you sure you didn't hit your head or something, dude?" He asked, placing the back of his hand on my forehead. _

"_I-I don't know." I said, looking around before my eyes settled on the green boy in front of me. A small smile spread across my face. He was here. He was actually here in front of me and safe. "I'm just glad you're here with me."_

_He grinned, a small line of blush threatening to taint his cheeks. I placed a hand on his cheek, rubbing my thumb against it. He tilted his head slightly upward, his eyes already starting to shut. I took this as an invitation, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on his lips._

_My eyes fluttered back open, intending to see Garfield still in front of me. Instead, it was a marble head; it's face and body disfigured. I jumped back, confused. All around me were statues of distorted figures; men women and children. The setting was dark, the only light coming from an open door. Someone was standing on the inside of the doorframe, watching me whimsically._

"_Gar?" I asked, stepping forward. He smiled, reaching a hand out towards me._

"_Find me, okay?" As he said this, two figures appeared behind him._

"_Gar!" I yelled. I tried to run toward him, but found my body unable to move. I could only watch as the bodies took him away, leaving me in the dark._

* * *

**I was debating on whether or not to upload this chapter. This chapter is only half way finished, but I figured that I had kept you guys waiting for too long(there's no telling how long it would've taken me to finish it). **

**I only have two more weeks of school left! And although I still have exams it was not nearly as stressful as the past few weeks. Thanks for the support!**

**Presunity VinPoint~**

**I actually never heard of the Joker Blogs, haha. Aw thanks, and they were so stressful but I survived!**

**Embrace Sweetness and lights~**

**Don't worry, my stories (usually) always have a happy ending! As for Gar, he wasn't very stable to begin with physically and mentally (post break up, not eating, being with Adonis, etc.) so he's not going to be in the best state of mind or condition. And he does have the collar that restricts his powers (without it he's just like any other person), and with that on the Joker has basically full control over him (elocution). In the next chapter you'll really see why he can't escape, even if he tried.  
As for Batman; it was actually my initial plan to include him in the story BUT I came up with an even better idea that I think will suit the story better (will be revealed in the next few chapters). Also, Dick is a lone ranger now (also will be revealed why in the next few chapters) so he wouldn't want to go back to Batman for something he feels is his faulth.  
Haha, yeah Rob is a bit rusty, but he'll have to manage! Roy is the definition of delusional, honestly. Hmm...I never even thought of all of the villains being gay or bi. I guess for the villains I use that have a major role are (Though I did mention on one of the earlier chapters that Mumbo Jumbo and Ms. Mae eye were dating *shiveres*)  
And yes! Slade does teach there. It was said in earlier chapters that he was Ravens teacher, and Garfield told Mr. Grayson he tried to avoid going to his class. He also filled in Mr. Grayson's spot when he left!**

**AngiMK~**

**Haha, don't worry, just know I find amusement in your reviews! And thanks, I hope you did well on your testing!**

**SweetQueenie218~  
****Aw, thanks! I hope you did well! And Gar definitely has a lot of people out for him!**

**Again, sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Next chapter will be sure to reveal a lot more! Please review!**


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